Past Present Future
by MangaMistress
Summary: Will increase in rating. starts off with a sort of fruits absket thing you know, sudden female character entering teh lives of a bunch of guys and works into tears, anger, homour....there wil be smut. Main pairing will be ItachiXOC. plenty other pairings
1. Bored

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. if i did, everyone would hate for what i have planned for characters

A/N: This is the beggining of my major naruto fic. I've already planned out 2 dozen chapters and it keeps extending. right now i'm uploading the first three just to see what you all think. Please let me knwo your thoughts or suffer the wrath.

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Everything was surrounded in white. Clear, unmarked, pure white. It was snowing all around him. He instantly knew it was a dream because nothing else could have been so beautiful. This poignant setting, resting soundly within the deep crevasse of his mind, had been replaying over and over again every night. Each night it went on for a little longer but always stopped when there was something desperately needing to be seen. It began as a faint shadow in the distance, the snow blocking any chance of a clear view. Then, he tried moving closer and the figure took on a shape. It appeared human from the top but the lower half was irregular and moving wildly in the cold-less winds. One night he was close enough to see that he was looking at the person from behind. The gentle curves that made the hips immediately gave away the female gender. Her body was almost completely draped in some sort of white material, which was near invisible against the snow. Maybe tonight he would be able to speak to her, find out who she was and why she was plaguing (or blessing) his mind.

He met her eyes. A dark yet luminous shade of rose breaking the endless white background. For a moment she looked like she was going to cry. She stretched out her arms, as if pleading for him to come closer and rescue her from this wilderness. Until, the look of death entered her gaze. The wind grew stronger, blowing from all directions and temporarily blinding him. The pink eyed woman suddenly leapt from the ground, the white sheets whipping across his skin as she flew over him. She soared through the blistering winds into the distance, taking the storm with her. As soon as his line of sight cleared he was able to make the presence of a town in the direction she was heading. Somehow, he knew she was going to destroy it with everything and every one in it too. He'd never seen the town in his life, had no idea what kind of people lived there; even if they weren't worth saving, his mind told him he had to save them. He had to warn them; run away or be frozen to death by a witch's snow storm.

The snow gathered like a flock of birds in the sky, forming a strange and threatening shape. It Grew to unspeakable height, higher than any building, tree or mountain ever encountered. Was it some sort of demon? A pair of eyes, glowing blood red, appeared on the figure. Destruction was in those evil red eyes. Yet, the pale skinned woman was nowhere to be seen. He wondered why he was running to this town, running towards a certain death, about to risk his life for a hopeless cause.

He stopped at the foot of the snow beast. It must have been higher than the unseen sky. However, right there, on it's shoulder sat the woman. Her eyes were filled with tears. Was she a slave to this beast, forced to watch the horror awaiting? Or, is she merely a bewitching siren trying to lure him to his doom?

It wasn't worth the risk. Not for a town he didn't even know. His effort would have been tactless and pointless. An unrecognisable deed, unseen by anyone. This was how …. _he_ chose to act upon his dream. But, what would the other ninja's of Konoha, experiencing the exact same dream, do?

XXXX

No missions today. At one point it's like, 'yay', until a young, bright orange jumpsuit clad, ninja realises: "Ah, crap. I'm bored". It was surprising to hear that there were no missions requiring ninja assistance today; usually there's at least a dozen 'D' ranks a day but, no. Nothing. So, once you've dragged lunch out for as long as you can, there's not actually much for a ninja to do in the leaf village, other than train of course._This must be why Kakashi reads so much on our missions. He's to good for us but he still wants something to do. Lazy perv._ Sasuke must have been feeling the boredom over come him too because he'd been hanging around both Naruto and Sakura all day. (Well, Sakura followed Sasuke who happened to bump into Naruto who just had to ask if they wanted to hang out.)

After wandering the village for almost an hour they found themselves at the main entrance, where the legendary Copy Ninja was reading one of his books.

"Hey! Kakashi Sensei!" shouted Naruto, quickly rushing to his Sensei's side. "What ya doing all the way out here?" The team seven leader glanced from the red cover (a new edition) of his book.

"Hello Naruto" he groaned "Not that it's any of your business but I'm waiting for an ambush" Kakashi expected the three confused expressions so, continued reading. "Any minute now I'll most likely be attacked" He flipped the next page.

"Um…Kakashi Sensei? How can it be an ambush if you know an when it's coming?" asked Sakura curiously.

"Oh, you'll see. This definitely qualifies as an ambush." He raised a hand, spreading five fingers widely. He brought one digit down at a time and counted. "Five, four, three, two….."

"Kashi-chan!!!" Kakashi suddenly vanished from sight but, only for few seconds when he trotted back to his students. They all stared at him in bewilderment. Someone else was there too, wrapped around Kakashi's neck and nuzzling her face against the unmasked part of his face. "Kashi-san. I missed you so much" Kakashi sighed heavily.

"Guys. Meet Yuika. Whom I suspect will become Naruto's other half by the end of the day."

"OMG Kakashi! Are these your pupils? They're adorable." Yuika leapt from Kakashi and quickly attached herself both Naruto and Sakura. "They're so cute!" She squealed after smothering the pair. She raised her head from between theirs to see a black haired boy rolling his eyes. She gasped loudly and zipped straight for him. She abruptly picked him up from under his arm pits and held him like an infant. "Sasuke, is that you? Look how big you've gotten. Last time I saw you, you weren't even past my beltline" Sasuke just stared at her, looking pretty much annoyed beyond usual level.

"Looks like you're still as hyped up as ever." he moaned "You were supposed to give up all that sugar" Even from behind, the young ninja were able to tell her expression must have changed. Probably the tension in the shoulders or something.

"Who made you EMO!?" She squawked. "What happened to my sweet little bumpkin? Did Itachi's make you this way? Where is that depressing bastard?" Just the sound of the rogue ninja's name made everyone cringe. However, Yuika did not seem to notice. Instead she just cuddled a grumpy Sasuke closer to herself.

Naruto cocked his head like a confused dog. He'd never seen someone so affectionate before, at least no-one who knew Kakashi (excluding Gai because he's…well…he's Gai) Still, Naruto was always happy to meet someone who wasn't out to kill anyone.

"Hey there, Yuika. My name's Naruto Uzumaki. Welcome to Konoha" he smiled as soon as she put Sasuke down. Suddenly, she was right in front of Naruto, practically face to face, eyes wide with excitement and hands clasped together up to her own face. " Wow! You've got to be the cutest blonde I've ever seen. And blue eyes too!" She pinched both Naruto's cheeks but, not in that way those crazy old ladies do, this kind of tickled. "You're even cuter than Sasuke" Just then, Naruto's eyes watered and he sniffed loudly. An ocean of emotions swept over him.

"Y..you mean it?" he sniffled. "No-one's ever said something so nice to me" He threw his own arms around her and the emotional pair hugged each other tightly. Sakura gazed from Yuika to Sasuke, who looked likehe really wanted crawl into a hole somewhere, and Kakashi. His, expression was the same as always. No answers from these two then. When Yuika broke the ultimate hug she stood proudly, one hand on her hip and the other pointing straight at Naruto. " Well get used to it, Uzumaki. Everyday you spend with me is like being dipped in sugar!"

"Why do you think I wear a mask?" Kakashi interrupted, " spending time with her gave me un-repairable tooth decay"

"Still the Cheshire Cat's evil twin I take it?" Yuika smiled, oblivious to everyone's confusion towards her odd statement. "Come on Kakashi. Let's go find Gai! I wanna see more adorable students!


	2. Big Green Perv

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Sorry about the short chapters but i promise it will work it's way up in length. Often my stories begin with samll filler stuff like this just to help work in the surroundings

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Yuika is pretty strange person but her enthusiasm tries to cover it up. She knows so many people in Konoha and every time she passed by one of them, they would stop and hug. She couldn't seem to walk in a straight line for long either. There was an occasional skip and dance whenever she spoke like it was natural and every so often, she would re-attach herself to Kakashi's arm. From the back, there appeared to be an odd resemblance to the pair that even Naruto couldn't miss. Their ninja clad outfits were identical but then, so were nearly every Chunnin and Jounnin in this village. Their hair wasn't exactly the same, Kakashi's being a stark shade of grey and Yuika's being snowy white, but how many ninja's or people had that type of hair colour going for them? Naruto slowed himself down to Sasuke's pace, who had lagged behind to avoid being jumped on by Yuika from behind.

"Hey, Sasuke? How do you know, Yuika?"

"I think I knew her as a kid but, I haven't seen her in years so, I don't remember much about her. All I do remember is that she's like this pretty much _all_ the time" Sasuke noticed that familiar dog-like look in Naruto's eyes. "What?"

"Why would someone like her be friends with _you_?" Sasuke gripped Naruto by the collar and threatened him with a balled up fist.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean!" he snarled.

"You're a grouch. She's not. So……" Sasuke just sighed and dropped Naruto on his ass. Sakura had been watching from the corner of her eye, not wanting to disturb the rarity of these two having a conversation but, still wanting in on it. She'd been heavily surprised by Sasuke's reaction.

"How should I know? She was friends with my brother so go ask him" Clearly this conversation was going nowhere so Naruto just jumped back to the front of group where the bright spirited Yuika was happy enough to talk to him.

_I can't believe she's here. And after that dream as well. No. There's no way it could have been her. Sure the eyes and hair look the same but….if it is her….._

_XXXX_

There were three places where team Gai was likely to be found: the small training forest on the edge of the village, in the bar where Gai would celebrate a recent mission or the small lookout near the southern academy where Gai would give his heartfelt speeches of youth to inspire his students. Since it was Gai and the middle of the day, they tried the forest first and wouldn't you know, it was training time.

"All right team! Take five" Huh? Who would have thought 'The Gai' actually took breaks?

"Gai-kun!!" shouted Yuika. Gai's head twitched at the sudden sound of his name being called.

"Is that…MY YUIKA?!" Gai ran with visual overflowing emotion, as did Yuika. The pair gleamed and cried like long lost loved ones finally being reunited. All they needed was a field of bright, yellow sunflowers surrounding them to complete the scene. Gai could almost picture it as he ran towards Yuika, arms outstretched and wide. Ready to embrace his beloved-

"You dirty pervert!!" super-ultimate-mega-punch-to-the-face What ever dazzling sunflowers had been there are burning to ashes as Gai goes flying into the air and face first into a tree. There was a stunned silence followed by a very loud groan from the green ninja. "That's what you get you sick creep" Everyone, even Kakashi looked on shock/horror. It was dramatic enough for Gai's team to see but what about the one's who had walking with the Easter bunny's sidekick?

"Yuika" cried Gai "What did I do to deserve this?" Yuika marched straight towards Gai, her face contorted with pure fury. "I want to know how _this_ ended up in a village I visited!" She held, what appeared to be a photograph, in front of Gai's face. The colour in his skin just flushed away right there and then.

"I…have no idea" he quivered. He was never much of a liar.

"You have five seconds or I'm gonna-"

"No-one harms Gai Sensei!" shouted Lee, jumping in between Yuika and Gai. "Why did you do that?" he pointed straight at her, thick brows furrowed in contempt. "Gai-Sensei was about to give you a most affectionate hug. I demand to know your reason for assaulting him"

"I demand to know how this picture of me ended up a three different villages I visited. I kept finding old men ogling over it like cats at a cream dish!"

"Let me see this picture" Lee held out his hand where Yuika placed the photograph. Lee examined it for a moment. "This thing? I know this picture" It was picture of Yuika (obviously or what would be the point in this endless dialogue) a few years younger maybe but, dressed very elegantly. She wore a formal, purple dress, trimmed at the hem with black lace. Her hair was decorated with tiny rose buds and she was sitting in a garden overlooking small orchard. "Why would something like this interest old men?" Yuika folded her arms and pouted loudly.

"I asked that too. They said I reminded them of their "mistresses". I couldn't sleep for weeks knowing that's how elderly men saw me. It was a simple picture for a local magazine. A _gardening _magazine. God, whatever happened to ordinary porn" She stopped herself, realising she was rambling. "And anyway, how do you know about that picture?"

"Oh. It fell out of Gai-sensei's wallet during a mission. I had picked it up in order to return it but I lost it again" he laughed, slightly embarrassed.

"And you planned on telling me this when, Lee?" Said Gai as he stood up from the ground. A slight aura of annoyance rose with him.

"I did not see the point as I had lost it again. But, I still do not understand why you would call Gai-Sensei a pervert?" Yuika suddenly started to cry and held up her hands to cover her sobbing eyes.

"Because when were young, Gai stole my underwear and made my kiss him to give it back" she wept.

"That's not true!" shouted Gai, completely outraged at such a notion. "I looked up your kimono and-oops…"

"Gai-sensei! You pervert! Another super-ultimate-mega-punch

XXXX

After three ice packs and whole heap full of apologies, the swelling in Gai's face eventually settled down. Yuika had practically smothered Lee the entire time, thanking him admiringly for defending her. The small hospital room was beginning to feel a bit cramped. Luckily, there was a free bed which Yuika took over in order to keep Lee tucked into her lap and cuddle him like a puppy.

"Awww, Gai why didn't you tell me you had such a cute son?" Gai looked up from his half melted ice pack.

"Um…he isn't my son. He's my student."

"No way" she gasped "I'd swear he's your spawn. You sure you didn't have a one night stand somewhere?" Gai replaced the ice pack, trying to hide the slight blush that crept to his cheeks. His other students, as well as visitors, had been stunned into silence ever since Yuika's earlier display. "Well, he's cuter than you and that's a tough place to beat" she giggled, nuzzling her cheeks into Lee's who was really enjoying the wave of compliments.

"NO!" cried Gai, leaping from the hospital to crouch before Yuika. "I thought I was on the top of your cute list. It was the only thing I was able to beat Kakashi at!"

"Make way for youth, Gai" As Gai's ocean of tears soaked the medical room floor, the other young ninja stared at Kakashi. A similar thought was silently being shared through their minds but, was never openly spoken.


	3. Vigil ant ty

Disclaimer: i do not own naruto.

Again, another filler but it does reveal a bit more aboutYuika and her personality. enjoy

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Summer bug breeding season was closing in. So, our favourite little bug boy, Shino was out gathering a few. These particular bugs were dwindling in numbers and often had a very little chance of survival because of their slow growth rate. Therefore, it was Shino's responsibility to gather some to ensure their survival and consistency in Konoha.

It was the middle of the afternoon of a typical sunny day. Not too much sunshine or cloud, a light breeze with just enough warmth in the air and not a sole in sight. Just how Shino liked it. Gathering bugs was often difficult considering Kiba's wild nature. It was always when he would find a special or rare bug that Kiba or Akamaru (more often, both) would just happen to appear and scare it away. Today was their day off so, Shino took the opportunity. This was his most satisfying hobby. It allowed Shino to relax, have fun and gather information at the same time. But more importantly, it proved his competence to his family. Many had repeatedly told him that being a bug master at his age was remarkable but that kind of praise was wasted on Shino. That, wasn't the acknowledgement he was looking for. Yes, he is very talented for his age but, not compared to his idol. His Father. Ever since he old enough to climb tree's to search for sap beetles, Shino adored the time he and his dad spent together. It was the one time someone didn't treat him like a prodigy and, instead, average. Asking things like: what kind of ant is this? How many are needed to make a tunnel at a foot length in distance and how do we recognise the queen? All this information was absorbed from the first intake but, simply being asked in the first place strangely made Shino happy. Just because he was gifted, did not mean he knew everything. He had to be taught first. All Shino saw in himself was a higher than average ability to memorise and communicate; nothing no-one else could do if they tried hard enough.

Shino had just passed a cluster of trees when he saw a young child in the distance, a boy, from the looks of it. He was on his knees next to a lone hazel tree. He had something in his hand, a large rock nearly twice the size of the boy's fist. His face was contorted in fury but, he was staring at the ground? Tiny screeches whispered into Shino's left ear. One of his bugs had smelt a caterpillar beneath the boy. _Another bug hater,_ Shino groaned inwardly. Shino could not tolerate these kind of people, especially when the helpless bug had not even done anything. This was just a senseless act; this would be called murder if it were a person or even household pet. No respect. Shino was just about to send in a swarm of blue bottle flies to scare the brat off when someone else suddenly appeared. Just as the boy swung his arm to bring the rock to the ground, the mysterious person kicked the rock right out of his hand. The boy yelled in pain and rose to his feet. It was a woman who had stopped him, a woman with hair whiter than anything Shino had ever seen before. It could have rivalled snow. Shino also noticed her bright pink eyes. Combined the pale tone skin, Shino confirmed she was albino. She wore a light green Kimono held together with a white sash and bow which, made Shino wonder how she could move so fast in such an outfit.

"What do you thing you're doing?" she shouted.

"That's my line! What'd you kick me for? That hurt!"

"You were about to squash that poor thing"

"What 'poor thing'? It's a disgusting bug and I'm getting rid of it" He stood then raised his foot and Shino swore he saw an evil grin sweep it's way across the boys lips. His sandal slammed into the flat dirt, leaving a small cloud of dust but, no squished caterpillar. The woman was quick enough to snatch the innocent creature out of the way in time.

"You retched boy. How about I do that to you? What if I threw my foot onto your back and killed you like some sick lunatic? Answer me that!" she actually screamed at the boy with full, blown out fury. Shino had never seen any one stick for up an insect so passionately before, not even in his own clan. Who was this woman? The boy looked close to tears but, managed to keep his composure. Shino had often stopped people from harming his insect companions but none of them had ever thrown up this much of a fuss. Clearly the woman wasn't going to let the boy have his way so, he merely spat at her and ran off.

Shino watched curiously as the woman climbed the tree. She struggled along the first few branches but was satisfied after successfully climbing halfway up. "There you go little guy" she said, stretching out to place the caterpillar onto a larger branch "Plenty fresh leaves up heEEEERRRREEE!!!" Shino was so engrossed that he had not noticed the woman had sat herself onto a very un-secure tree branch. All Shino heard was the snap of wood and her loud scream as she plummeted fast to the ground. Shino closed his eyes as if he was bracing himself for the pain. He didn't hear her anguished cries though. When he opened his eyes, his shades almost fell from the bridge of his nose. Shino's Father had appeared in no less than a moment and caught the woman as she was falling. Her hands were clenched tightly, as were her eyes, as if still expecting the fall. Her eye lids fluttered open and widened at the sight of her saviour.

"Aburame-san, is that you?"

"Why do you always say that even when you know it's me?" She threw her arms around his neck and squealed 'thank you' over and over again, gleefully.

Shino had followed the pair for the rest of the afternoon. He could just 'casually' bump into them but he was curious by the strange behaviour in his father. He was talkative, friendly and was laughing along with this woman as they walked together. Not that he didn't do those things with other people (laughing happening rarely) just not at this quantity. The only one his father had ever been like this with was either him or his mother. The whole thing was more puzzling than working your way through five ant colonies at once. (Don't ask) The pair then stopped by Ichiruka's and ordered two bowls of pork and green pepper ramen. Shino hid himself a few buildings away, using one of his insects to hear into their conversation. They were halfway through their meal when Amburame-san put down his chopsticks.

" I have a surprise for you" he said, "Remember this little guy?" He raised his arm so that his wrist was almost inch above the counter. Through his insects, Shino unmistakably heard the crawling of multiple legs coming from within his Dad's jacket. A large tarantula emerged from Aburmae-san's sleeve and slowly crawled towards the woman. "Oh my god" she gasped " Look at how big you've gotten. You've grown up to be big a strong just like I always knew you would." She held out the palm of her hand and the large, hairy arachnid eagerly crawled onto it. As she held the specimen close to her face she gently stroked it with her free hand. The spider then raised one of it's own legs and in return stroked the woman's nose. Aburmae-san placed his elbow on the counter to rest his head. Another odd gesture by his father Shino wasn't accustomed to.

"He missed you" he said.

" I missed him too. Awww, look how attentive he is. You brought him up well. I wish I could have taken him with me but the village is a perfect place for spiders to prosper"

"There she is mom! She's the one who smacked me on the face!" The pair turned around at the loud voice directed at them. It was the young boy from earlier and it appeared he brought his mother with him who looked absolutely furious.

"Look at what you've done to my child!" she yelled. "What kind of despicable adult assaults a child?" Shino saw what the boy's mother was referring to. A large red mark, accompanied with three small scratches marked the boy's right cheek. "I'm reporting you to the police for this. They'll put you away for good for harming my son"

"I find that very hard to believe madam" Shino recognised the voice as the owner of the ramen shop.

"And why is that?" she loudly protested

"Tell me, how long ago did your son come to you with that mark on his face?"  
"No more than half an hour ago" she grunted, "what does that matter?"

"Well, I just thought you'd like to know that these two customer have been enjoying their meal here for the last hour and a half. They had kindly waited for the pork to cook fully through because I had none prepared prior" For a guy who serves ramen all day, he sure sounds a lot like a lawyer. Had that much time really passed already? Shino looked at the sun's position and realised it was true. Not that he needed proof about the boy's injury because he had been there the whole time. The kid must have hurt himself on purpose and is now trying to blame it on her.

"Also Miss, there is no way my friend here could have made those marks on your son's face" added (…)

"Why's that's. How can you prove such a thing?" she seemed genially curious considering her son is being branded as lair. Aburame-san held out one the woman's hands. The fingers nails or what was left of them were bitten all the way down to the point where the skin was close to tearing. "As you can clearly see, _that_ could have never been done by these" The mother faced her son with what could only be described as complete shame. The boy scowled at three adults who had easily outwitted him. The mother then gave a forgiving bow and roughly grabbed her son by the arm and dragged him away, hoping to save herself further embarrassment. The woman visibly sighed heavily as she watched the domestic pair leave.

"Remember that ols saying you used to tell me when I growing up? 'Admire the butterfly but Respect the Caterpillar.' I'd like to say I feel sorry for that boy but, sooner or later he needs to learn that just because he goes crying to mommy doesn't mean he'll get his way. A little respect could have saved him so much hassle." Shino had only seen this woman for a few hours but she did come off as an easily upset person. Although, when she hung her head in an almost gloomy manner, it was like another person had just replaced her. Aburame-san reached out his hand and held hers.

"Don't let a brat like that upset you"

"That's right Miss" said the ramen owner, "That boy is a bad seed with a lousy gardener. Once, I found him stealing one of my home bred chicken. I found it wandering the streets that night, completely plucked of it's feathers. It hasn't laid an egg in months "

"I guess. Still…it's a shame. I think I'll go home now, Aburame-san. Okay? See you some other time. Oh, and Shino, next time, why don't you join us for dinner?"

What the hell?! He'd been caught and by _her _as well. If it were his Dad then fine but, oh crap.

Shino shuffled his feet along the ground as he made his way to where his dad sat.

"Yuika was looking forward to meeting you, too. Just because no-one else can see where you hide your bugs does not mean you don't practise hiding them well" he said sternly

"Is that her name?" said Shino in an attempt to avoid a scolding.

"Yes, it is. I used to teach her about bugs when she was younger and she even introduced me to your mother"

Shino plopped himself on the stool next to his Dad. "She seems nice"

"She is. But, very sensitive. Nothing wrong with that. However, it does mean she feels pity for those who don't really deserve it" Shino couldn't help but wonder if there was something else behind this relationship. The way his Dad acted around Yuika was so affectionate than his normal self. It wasn't his place to poke his nose into though. Instead, he just allowed his Father to change the subject back to the bugs Shino was supposed to have collected that day.


	4. Gaara's Deliverer

For those who have kindly alerted this fic to keep up with it, thanking you btw, i just changed some minor details in this fic to suit the next few chapters. nothing much, just typo's and one or two words in dialogue. Thanks again. Prepare urselves for the next few chapters

Recent note: i was re-reding this to remind myself of waht i put in and was ashamd at the amount of typo's and details i had forgotten to change. hopefully i got them all this time ;

* * *

"Oh my God! Kankuro, it's _her_! Run!" Even if it were the middle of the night and the sky was covered in deep black, those eyes that sparkled at the site of the sand trio would have lit up even the world darkest hole in the ground.

"Tamari! Kankuro! Come here you sweet things" Most people pretty much feared this bunch from the sand village because of their fearless attitude, which came with the high talent to back it up. However, the site of Yuika sent the eldest two into a panicky frenzy. Despite their amazing speed and combat skills they were caught after barely running two feet. Yuika was somehow able to catch them, hold them down and wrap both them tightly in her arms. Gaara stared in confusion as both his brother and sister struggled to break free of this strange woman's grip. They flailed and thrashed and yelled the unspeakable but, she wouldn't let go. What was so scary about _this _woman? She seems pretty ordinary, besides the white hair, but that purple kimono makes her look a flower sales girl. Gaara turned his head to the sound of foot steps. He recognised the tall hair and face mask as Uzumaki's Sensei.

"I take it Tsunade asked you three to help out our village during it's little…situation? Well, it doesn't matter. Welcome anyway. Oh, and sorry about her. She gets a little enthusiastic sometimes" Enthusiastic? Gaara had never seen those two so freaked before. And why was _she _ so happy to them? Gaara had never seen her before.

"Gaara! Get out of here now!" shouted Tamari. A bright, flashing light shined seemingly out of nowhere from this woman the instant she heard Gaara's name.

"Baby Gaara's here too" she squealed.

"Tamari! Why'd you tell her that?"

"I…don't know…" she quivered. The pair gasped as they were finally released from Yuika's mega hugging grip but, then they panicked. Oh, great that'll be a good start for the Leaf-Sand alliance: VILLAGER DIES AFTER SANDNINJA ENTER LEAF. They'll be gutted alive by the Anbu for sure.

"Oh my gosh! Look at your beautiful red hair. And those adorable green eyes. Awww, you're even cuter than when you were born." First impressions are everything. _This woman is nuts._ And just like his brother and sister, he too was pulled into an unbelievably tight embrace. "Oh Kashi-chan, he's so cute. Can I keep him, please?" Kakashi sighed heavily, shaking his head at Yuika's embarrassing behaviour.

"No, Yuika. And if you don't let him go soon, he's going to suffocate." Yuika cocked her head like a confused dog for a second and then looked down to see only half of Gaara's face, which was turning a slight shade of red.

"Whoops. Sorry, Gaara. I just got so excited to see you again. Oh, Kakashi! We're gonna be late. Again!" Yuika quickly grabbed Kakashi's arm and dashed off. "See you later, okay?" she called back before disappearing around a corner.

Gaara heard both his siblings sigh heavily with relief. "Thank Kami" said Kankuro "That could have been worse"

"Ughr…whatever. All that crazy stuff had just made me hungry now. I'll see you two later. I'm gonna get dinner."

"Fine. See ya later, Tamari." Kankuro rose to his feet as Tamari turned around the corner and out of sight. He stood a moment, taking in the quiet surroundings that were now more than welcomed. Then, he remembered that Gaara was still here. However, when he looked over his shoulder, he was surprised to see Gaara with a very strange look on his face. He'd grown so accustomed to the constant scowl that seeing anything else was really out of the ordinary. Kankuro waved a hand in front of his younger brother's face but he couldn't seem to brake Gaara out of his trance. Until, "How come you get to go down boob valley and I don't?" he smirked. That seemed to do the trick because Gaara immediately swung his whole body around, folded his arms and held his head up high. Kankuro grinned. This was a rare sight however, he's better not push it too far. "I guess you're wondering how she knows us?"

"It crossed my mind" said Gaara, still keeping his back turned.

"Well, how do I put this? She was kinda there when you were born."

"What do you mean 'kinda'?"

"She delivered you. I can't remember if she was a friend of Mom or Dad's though.

"You don't have to explain. I'm going now. I'm bored here"

_What a title that woman gets to carry with her_ Kankuro thought sarcastically. _The woman who delivered the demon baby of the sand village because everyone else would have killed it. _ Kankuro couldn't remember much about Yuika other than the dreaded hugs he was unable to block from his memory. However, he did recall how friendly she used to be with his mother. Always talking with each other, laughing and doing mum stuff even though she was pre-five. He also remembered the day Yuika was banished from the sand; it was the same day that Gaara was born. After their younger was born they learned the horrid truth of what their father had been up to. It wasn't very surprising to hear the Kazegage tried to terminate the birth, their father was predictable for last minute changes. Their mother had tried to hide and give birth on her own. Unfortunately, it was a breach birth. The umbilical cord got tangled around the infants neck, fortunately she took solace in the one place she felt safe in her home village. Yuika's place of stay. It had been a long, difficult birth. By the end, it had cost a life in order to give a life. And by the laws of the Sand village, that even the Kazegage couldn't change, it would be classified as murder to kill the newborn despite the spirit it possessed. Kankuro could only guess that the reason behind Yuika's banishment was to prevent the risk of Gaara being protected or taken from the village. It was a secret between Kankuro and Tamari that they had always wanted to know their brother but, were never allowed. Maybe if they had found someway, their brother wouldn't be so spiteful towards his elder siblings. Still, he couldn't hold it against Gaara. He only hoped one day the gap between in their family might close one day.

XXXX

_What was I thinking_, thought Gaara. It had been three since the sand made their alliance with the leaf. It had been a battle all on it's own due to the majority of the elders who protested against it. The decision was made after the Hokage received an anonymous letter or recommendation. It read how the sand was under the influence of the sound village after their Kazegage was murdered. Under any other circumstances, the attack would have never happened. Apparently it did the trick. So, now the leaf and Sand were officially united.

Gaara wasn't sure why he agreed to join the leaf village. Maybe he was just bored; the leaf village was always a source of excitement. However, that idea seemed a little ironic now considering he had given a 'D' rank mission to carry out. He just didn't expect it to be babysitting.

The mother was a piece of work. The infant was dumped into Gaara's arms less than a second of the door opening, along with a bag five times the weight and size of the baby. Not that the baby was big. In fact, it looked no bigger than a new born. "Bring her back around midnight or something. No earlier, got it?" Gaara didn't even get a chance to answer because she stormed off down the street and out of sight. After an hour, Gaara was already having second thoughts about this whole Leaf/Sand alliance. Since there wasn't a specific location for this 'mission' he just stayed pretty much were he was, not seeing the point in going somewhere else if he had to come back here anyway. It was a good thing too because the area was practically empty and the baby was ready to cough up a lung from all its crying. A whole hour of this and Gaara was happily willing to kill himself. _What was I thinking,_ he thought. It wasn't even past midday yet. How the hell was he going to last until midnight.

"Wow. You are actually hopeless at something" When Gaara looked up, the first thing that registered to his mind was…eyebrows. It was none other than, 'The Handsome Devil Of The Leaf Village', Rock Lee. (Not Gaara's choice of words)

"What do you want?" groaned Gaara.

"I think it is more what that baby wants. I could hear the crying all the way from my place. You are lucky everyone is preparing for the upcoming festival otherwise they would have thought you were committing murder"

"I've given it thought" he growled as the baby gave another sharp tug on his hair. Lee suddenly gasped aloud. He pointed directly in front of Gaara's face, nearly losing balance on his crutches.

"No! This is unacceptable." he shouted "You require training" Gaara raised an eyebrow (if he had any) at Lee.

"Excuse me?" Lee bent his body forward as much as possible and looked at Gaara mockingly.

"For one thing, that baby looks like it can barely hold its own head up. The way you are holding it, it is ready to snap off" Gaara hadn't really been paying much attention to how he was holding the baby, he just….well…held it. What other way was there?

"Here. I will show you" Gaara gratefully handed the infant over. The way Lee held it was completely different. He had it nestled in his folded arms like carrying a bundle of apples. It looked very strange in Gaara's eyes but it did stop the crying. Gaara actually leapt to his feet and stared in disbelief. (I know, very OOC moment but bare with it)

"That's impossible" he said. Lee threw one arms in the air with his nose pointing to ward the sky.

"It is not impossible" he exclaimed. "I just have experience at this. You, have not" Gaara's head drooped like a heavy flower on a its stem. It felt a little embarrassing to have been beaten by a baby and then outmatched by this bushy freak. Still, it was pleasant to have silence again. Even if it was only a moment because the baby started crying again. Gaara pulled his own hair and groaned loudly through his teeth.

"What's wrong now?" Lee pressed a hand against the baby's stomach.

"She is hungry. When did you last feed her?" Gaara didn't have an answer, just a vacant stare. Lee simply sighed. "I would have at least guessed you knew humans need food, Gaara."

XXXX

Gaara sat on Lee's green couch, sulking.

"Come on, Gaara. This is your mission. I am merely showing you how to accomplish it but you are the one who have to do it" Gaara, begrudgingly, held out his arms and took the baby and the bottle of milk. By now, this was his fifth attempt at trying to hold her and he had half a mind to just leave the baby with Lee. But, he was expected to bring the baby back and this was his chance to gain at least an ounce of trust with the leaf village. So, he tried. He focused to remember everything Lee told him. Arms folded. Support head. Wrapped up. Hold the bottle upwards at an angle. Where the hell did Lee learn all this crap?

"Gaara! You did it!" Sure enough, he did. There was no crying. Or nagging. Or mistakes. Lee slumped on to the couch next to Gaara who sighed with relief. There was silence between them , apart from the gentle sucking noises from the bottle. Gaara adjusted his arms slightly and felt something beat against his chest. It was the baby's heart beat. Even through layers of clothes and sand he could he could feel the ba-bump, ba-bump. Each beat felt warm and strong. Gaara wondered if a baby could really be strong even if it's dependent.

The bottle was almost finished so Gaara took it away so the baby wouldn't suck in air. As Lee had previously instructed. Gaara then gently rest the baby against his shoulder and began messaging its back. It felt weird doing all this because he had never been so careful with something in his life. He suddenly felt Lee tuck something between the baby and his shoulder.

"Just in case she throws up" he smiled.

"How did you know she's a girl?" Gaara asked. He had noticed earlier but was too frustrated to ask. In Lee's classic pose with his indent finger in the air, he answered, "It is simple. Her eyes." Lee clearly noticed Gaara's confused expression. "They are bright and they shine like precious jewels. Those are the eyes of a girl. Look for yourself" Gaara was curious to understand what Lee meant. So, lifted her up to take a good look when-SPLAT

Gaara glared. More at Lee than at the baby. Lee bit his lip and gripped his knees, doing his best to hold it in but he couldn't. He let out into such a hysteric fit of giggles that he fell off the couch. When he felt he had calmed down enough he looked at Gaara apologetically but seeing blobs of baby peeuk dribble off his chin was just too much to bare.

"I am sorry" he wheezed "I am so sorry" Lee crawled onto the couch again, still laughing to the point of tears. Gaara quickly dumped the baby on Lee' lap and stormed off to the closest sink.

XXXX

After that little incident, Lee decided it would be a good idea to get some fresh air. So, Gaara's plan to hide out at Lee's all day went down the drain along with the baby sick. Lee lead the way with Gaara, grudgingly, carrying the baby. Gaara followed Lee to a remote area of the leaf village; a small, grassy area with small hills and large oak trees.

"Why are we up here?" Gaara moaned after they sat by a random tree.

"It is not healthy to keep a baby inside while it is so nice outside. And if we stayed in the apartment, your new _cologne_ would have stunk up the whole place for weeks" Lee laughed to himself despite the Gaara Glare. _Of all the things I could be doing, why this? _He was beginning to think this village was out to get him.

"Oh no!" cried Lee suddenly. "I forgot I was supposed to be meeting Gai Sensei today. If I do not hurry I will be punished" Lee immediately stood up and sprinted for the main village. He called over his shoulder about coming back but he was too far away for Gaara to hear the whole thing. There was brief moment of silence between Gaara and the baby. Maybe the baby is smart enough o realise if she does anything, Gaara is bound to screw up. But, something must have been important because she began to wine and wriggle around. He set her on the ground and she started to crawl away. _Oh, come on! _Surely he wasn't that bad? When she got further away Gaara thought she shouldn't wander off too far otherwise he'd never hear the end of Lee's endless banter. So, he had his sand wrap itself around her waist and lift her back to Gaara's lap. When the sand released her, she giggled.

"You liked that?" Well, if it kept her from crying.

For almost an hour, over and over again, they played. She would crawl away and the sand would pull hr gently, letting her think she was stronger. Other times he would lift her high into the air an she would wave her arms like a bird.

"Gaara! What are you doing?" shouted Lee. Gaara was so taken by surprise and lost control of the sand. It was like watching a leaf fall from its branch but, much faster. Gaara sprung to his feet, leaping forward with all his might. His arms stretched out wide. He _just _caught and as he did he rolled on to his back in mid-air leaving a flat trial or grass and dirt. He opened his eyes and sighed with relief when he heard the familiar giggle.

"What were you thinking Gaara? That is dangerous" Gaara scowled at Lee as he sat himself up.

"Don't even try to blame this on me! You should try not sneaking up on people like that" They glared at each other intently. If it weren't for the baby they would have probably got into a fist fight there and then. Out of nowhere, Lee smiled widely in a very mischievous manner.

"What were you doing anyway" Gaara suddenly felt the blood rush to his face. He shook his head wildly which only made Lee smile even wider.

"You were playing and having fun too. Admit it!" Gaara looked away, his face turning more red by the moment.

"Uh…um...dinner! Let's go get dinner!" He shot up from the ground like a daisy and walked off. Lee soon followed, bringing along the baby bag Gaara had forgotten in his embarrassed panic.

XXXX

Gaara and Lee found themselves outside Ichiruka's where a ramen stuffed Naruto welcomed them. "Hey Guys!" he waved in his typical goof-ish manner. Then he noticed the little baby chewing on one of Gaara's fingers. "Couldn't have one of your own so, you two decided to adopt?" If massive waves blew down the streets like tumble weeds, this would be the perfect place for that to happen.

"No! It is not like that! I am simply helping Gaara with his mission, Lee exclaimed, waving his arms frantically. Gaara could easily see Naruto's attempt to hold in his amusement and if was really starting to piss him off.

"If you buy us dinner, I might not sand coffin your orange ass"

"THREE BOWLS!"

"So, what's it like to be the baby sitter for the day, Gaara? I've never actually did it before" said Naruto through half a face full of ramen.

"A nuisance. Nothing but humiliation to my name"

"No, it is not" said Lee with a smirk. "You should have seen him earlier, Naruto. He was having the time off his life until I showed up"

"Then let that be a lesson," said Gaara, seemingly unaffected by Lee's statement, "Don't invite Lee to parties"

"Got it!" saluted Naruto.

"Hey! That is not fair!"

Because Naruto's so generous, he ordered a second round of ramen for his friends. As the Ayame sat the overflowing bowls down she glanced as the little baby sitting on the table top. She watched as the giggling infant played with a pair of chopsticks, with Gaara resting a hand behind her so she wouldn't fall. Gaara hadn't noticed the woman staring at him. He was just silently eating away at his food, occasionally feeding the baby a small mushroom, completely oblivious.

"Excuse me but, that wouldn't be….Rohama-San's baby would it"

Gaara looked up from his bowl. He had this extremely awkward feeling and having noodles dangling form his mouth from his mouth wasn't really helping. Everyone was staring at him like he had just farted at a funeral. Gaara quickly thought back to his mission handout. Sure enough, 'Rohama' was the baby's mother's surname. He nodded, slightly worried about what their reaction was going to be.

"Oh my God! Anther one?" exclaimed Lee. "You are not mistaken?"

"What's the big deal?" moaned Gaara.

They all heard Ayame sigh heavily. She reached out her arms, physically asking to hold the baby. The tiny infant tugged on the woman's hair innocently. "Poor little thing. You won't have ,much of chance in life with a mother like that, will you?" There genuine sorrow lingering in her voice although, it didn't help Gaara's confusion much. He then heard Naruto growl in background.

"I bet she even told you to bring her back in the morning or something. Like some borrowed scroll"

"Well…yes but, what's that got to do with anything?" There was a dull silence where everyone looked to the surface below them. Lee physically turned in his chair to face Gaara.

"Konoha is a big place. Not everything can be dealt with efficiently. Especially if no one talks about it. That woman has a reputation. All sorts of rumours have spread about her drinking habits and only Kami knows what else. I heard she tried dumping a child on a ninja once, claiming she found it on the street. Later they found out that the baby was actually hers and she was arrested for child neglect. They had to release after she claimed she worried about an Ex dropping by and harming her baby" Lee swore under his breadth and fell deafly silent. However, Gaara suspected that wasn't the end of the story. " A few days later, that same ninja went to check everything was okay and…."Lee bit his lip. Gaara could clearly see the tears welling up in beneath those thick eyebrows. "The door was open…he found that bitch lying in pool of her own drunken induced vomit and…the baby…she….left it in the bath tub to either freeze or drown to death" Lee hugged his elbows. His normal, joyous face seemed to have washed away, leaving a glum and deeply saddened expression behind.

"Why wasn't anything done" Gaara asked calmly. Unlike Naruto, who could be heard gnashing his teeth together.

"Because she fucking screamed 'RAPE'!" yelled Naruto. There was frightening look in Naruto's eyes that Gaara had only seen once before, when he had unleashed his own demon against Shikaku. "That…monster, doesn't deserve to be a mom. She shouldn't even be allowed outside" Ayame silently handed the baby back to Gaara. He gazed at the depressed threesome. It was like some sort of infection had just suddnely seeped into them, sucking away what Gaara had grown so accustomed to. It made him wonder why he didn't feel the same way. He rose from his seat, slung the bag over his shoulder and walked off with the infant his arms without a word.

"What are going to do Gaara?" shouted Lee. "You can't take her back there"

XXXX

Hours stretched in from day until night. There were problems with no solutions. Questions with no answers. The story of Gaara's life. For a long time he had blocked out most of his past memories. Dark and unwanted thoughts were what made up Gaara's childhood and they were penetrating their way back. Along with lies, deception and anger. But, what always seemed to hurt the most was the love. A dead mother who supposedly loved her child enough to die for him. An uncle who betrayed the only bond with family he had ever known and a father who wanted him dead after possessing him with a fucking sand spirit. _I bet she told her child over and over again how much she loves her. _Why does love cause so much pain? Is it really a word that we use to express how much we care for someone, how far we would go to protect them and keep them safe? Or is it really a way to cover up our own lying asses. Does 'I love you' really mean, 'You are nothing to me' but, just softens the blow? It still hurts the same when you realise the truth. It hurts more when all it's been is a lie. Gaara couldn't let someone else got through that. He was only able to bare that kind of torture because he had his sand to protect him. To be completely alone and live though that kind of pain; it kills you inside.

There was a knock at Gaara's door. ( He was grateful for the privilege and privacy Konoha allowed its visitors) When he opened it, there was a warm, smiling face on the other side.

"I'd say I was in the neighbourhood but, I know how much you dislike dishonesty. Naruto and Lee told me what happened and I thought you'd might like someone to talk to" Any other time, any other place, Gaara could given an easy answer. But, with this strange woman standing here, all his lips could manage was a light quiver. How is she able to do this with a smile too? Why doesn't she show how much this hurts her to see?

"Why do people do it? Why do we people we care about hurt us? What's the point of saying kind words when you don't mean it?" Gaara held a hand across his face. His shoulders shook as he tried to understand these words escaping from him. "It's not fair….that I should know all this shit. What am I supposed to do?" he cried. This sensation was strange. His cheeks felt hot and cold at the same time. It was like eyes were clouds holding back a storm and had finally erupted. Yuika bent forward to meet Gaara at eye level. She reached out with her Kimono sleeve and dried Gaara's teary eyes.

"I probably shouldn't tell you this but, I'm guessing Lee didn't tell you he was the one who found that baby before" Gaara thrust his head up in shock. "He was only ten at the time and didn't fully understand the laws of the shinobi at the time. He wasn't supposed to be checking in the baby because he had been part of the investigation. That's why they weren't able to make a clean case because of his innocent interference. Otherwise, he would have stopped you from even leaving Ichiruka's"

"But….he…." Gaara chocked in his own words. The lump in the base of his throat had swollen to much.

"You can still do something though. Something for the better. I can help but it has got to be your decision, okay?"

XXXX

Someone else received a knock on their door that night. A middle age couple known as the Richuka's, who ran a vegetable stall together were cursed with the terrible tragedy of not being able to bare children. When they opened their door, the bright light from within pushed its way through the dark and shined on top of small basket on their doorstep.

"Is this really a good idea?" asked Gaara. He and Yuika were hiding just a few feet away, encased in shadow.

"I hope so. Clever idea with the note by the way. What did you write on it?"

"Nothing special" he answered while staring at his feet. Yuika just patted him on the head, smiling down at him.

"I'll see you later, okay? I have to be up early tomorrow. Make sure you get some sleep too." When Yuika left, Gaara gazed over at the Richuka couple. They looked overjoyed to see a 'miracle' finally happen to them after waiting so long. The tall guy read the note as they went back into their home

_Her name is Yuika_

Just _lover her_


	5. Childhood Anger

Okay, this is jsut a quick, mushy filler chapter. Sozzy but it had to be done to fill in the gaps for the plot. It's a Gaara mush though so you might enjoy ;

* * *

How do you teach a child to deal with grief? Do you tell them their loved one's have moved on to a better place? It was their time. Would you do the opposite and leave them to deal with on their own? Is that cowardly or loving? You're teaching that person the ways of the world by letting them face it head on. Shouldn't that be recognised as responsible? Do you comfort them with endless words to ease the pain? But, doesn't that hurt more to constantly hear the name of someone you've lost? Friends tried to treat him normally but it felt fake. One tried to confront him, it only made him run. Family were the worst. The brave faces and warm gestures were only reminders of the loss. The loss of a beloved grandfather, the Third Hokage.

He understood why his grandfather left. The home and lives of hundreds were in danger. It was the duty of Hokage to protect and defend the village. It was the way any Shinnobi would have wanted their lives to end and be remembered. So why couldn't he forgive the deceased hero? He wanted to curse that name to the heavens but, of course, held it in. That would be have been disrespectful. What else could he do? Crying was out of the question. Screaming was pitiful. Talking only made it ache more inside. There's only anger. Anger is best. Use it with shurikens and kunai's and wooden stumps. Surely that would release him from this misery.

However, all it seemed to do was knock on the door of an empty room. Distraction can only go so far for so long. Sooner or later, the memories will return. Why do our _happiest _memories hurt more than others? Shouldn't they comfort the pain? Remembering their smile, their voice, their gifts and words of wisdom should bring you joy while; the times when they yelled or were angry at you should harbour guilt on your very soul. It seems more like the opposite. It's easier to remember the anger because then it's easier to hate. There's no way to forget those memories, is there? He was cruel to do that to him. Why leave these memories with someone if all they do is drive you insane every time they creep their way back in?

One day, he ran.

He'd actually felt fine that day, for once. Not one memory had surfaced. Until, he was passing by the teachers lounge at the academy.

"Something has to be done about that boy. Lately he's been isolating himself from his team-mates as well as others he's normally close to. Even Ebisu has reported of his extra effort and direct focus during his training which, worries me more"

"Now hold on" The other voice was immediately recognised as Iruka Sensei. "He's dealing with a tough loss here. This kind of behaviour is normal and don't forget, he _is _just a boy. He's never dealt with anything like this before"

"Then you know, as well as I do, Iruka, how these things can turn out. He's weak right now but wait few years and you'll regret not listening earlier. Combat and battle will be his only detachment until he feels we no longer suit his needs. His desire to fight in order to block out his mind will twist him. So, don't stand there and defend him when you damn well it can happen" Silence followed. Everything seemed to crumble around him in that moment. It only confirmed what everyone really thought about him. He'd been training so hard these last few weeks, studying like mad in class, practising his chakra control in every spare moment. They all saw him as a potential, rouge weakling. Even Iruka. Something welled up inside him and began to emanate through his teeth as he gnashed them tightly. Weak. Weak! He'll show them weak.

He ran down Konoha's streets, searching blindly for any ninja he could find. He'll take them all down. Everyone. That'll show them how strong he is. Take them down. Even…even…a flash of orange caught the corner of his eye. Even him! His feet scraped along the dirt ground, dust flailing around his feet and ankles as he cut around that corner and bolted up the alleyway. Liquid fire coursed through every muscle. One moment it fuelled his burning anger, making him run faster than ever before. Then, everything seemed to slow down. He saw Naruto's face, broad and smiling at seeing his friend. Inch by inch it faded away into slight confusion. It may have been the force behind the small ninja's running footsteps. Maybe, the wide-eyed glare or the sense of chakra building in the air. With each slow second that trailed by, Naruto's joyous features slowly diminished. Through the raged ninja's eyes everything seemed to be a blur around Naruto's figure. Nothing but orange and red glazing over his vision.

As his fist violently connected against, what felt like, bone and muscle a flash of blue blinded him. Some sort of noise registered to his ears and it continued as the blue faded. A cold breeze suddenly swept across the small boy as he noticed Naruto was still standing. Well, crouched on one knee by some woman in a light blue kimono. She was clutching her left shin, her brow furrowed in pain. Oh crap, what'd he do? The chunnin's will have him removed from the academy after hearing he attacked a civilian. Despite Naruto's mouth moving frantically, angered words directed towards the culprit, everything was silent. It was as if all that rage had popped right out his eardrums like a sake bottle cork. He took a step back, suddenly feeling a lump rise in the centre of his throat. The woman's eyes snapped open and roughly snatched at his wrist.

"That the best you got?" she yelled at his small, stunned face. Naruto appeared to be reaching forward for them but he suddenly disappeared only to be replaced by clouds of white smoke. The sudden change in setting startled him for a second. As faint images of familiar buildings came into view he tried to pull away but that grip was still fastened around his wrist.

"No one's around. If you're gonna hit me then hit like a ninja and make a decent job of it!"

"No!" he screamed back without thinking. She didn't let go no matter how much he struggled. He was close to clawing his own arm off before she yelled at him again

"Pathetic" she hissed, "Some grandson you are for the Hokage. You're so fucking weak" _I'm not weak I'm not weak_

"Shouldn't even bother with a worthless excuse for a ninja like you" _I'm not WEAK!_

"Aaaaarrrrrggghhh!!" His eyes tightened as he swung his free fist directly towards her. He didn't think about what he hit, just that he get her away from him. Again and he again he threw his fist in wild frustration. He felt the lactic acid collecting in his arms, burning through his biceps. Yet, his hand felt numb against what ever he was smashing in to. Eventually, his energy depleted. Both arms fell to his side; one feeling the blood flow smoothly back into his hand again while the other felt like blood was flowing out of it. Eyelids fluttered heavily like they'd been closed for years. There was blood on his hand but not his. Dark speckles against pale skin. Wispy white hair stained to impurity. Deep, pink eyes attempting to hide the external pain. Oh, shit. The ass is cooked. The ass is well and truly cooked. Run now. Run now and you may be able to save a cheek.

"It's okay to be angry y'know. Especially when you lose someone you love. But is _this _what you really want, Kono?" She pointed a slender finger at the fresh blemishes on her face. "You're allowed to be angry but, when you hold it in like that you hurt those you care about most." No. No, please. Don't talk anymore. Just let me get away from here. Konohamaru barely noticed his hand being held again until she brought to an open wound under her right eye. "These are only physical but, this is what everyone feels underneath when you throw away their kind words like garbage. Do you really want to do that?" That lump again. The second her hot blood and skin touched his finger tips, he felt it again. No way he could swallow it down now. "I felt really angry before. I didn't want anyone to know mostly because I wasn't sure why I was angry. Your grandfather gave me some advice though. Do you know what he said?" he gently shook his head. "_Sometimes you just need a good cry, don't you? _I didn't quite get how a cry wassupposed to be good but it was. I guess that's easier for girls to do than boys though huh? If you like, you can cry now" No! Crying is weak. Ninja's don't cry. "I won't tell anyone" He broke down. Broke like a tiny toy dropped from its shelf.

XXXX

It had already been late afternoon when Konohamaru took his little temper tantrum. Now, evening was etching it's way into the sky. Crisp, hue blue began to deepen into warm violet, crisscrossed by arrays of blush and marigold. It felt like an almost perfect setting to be found on a rooftop with a sleeping child in your arms. However a child that's just cried his eyes out kinda breaks the atmosphere. So does a red head with the power to crush a village, let alone one person, with his sand wielding abilities. He stood over Yuika with a harsh glare, arms folded across his chest.

"What was the point in all of that?" he said in his monotone voice. "I was actually going to greet you and Uzumaki when that brat showed up and assaulted you. I actually thought you were going to pummel the pipsqueak" Yuika's only response was a small smile. Gaara crouched down and reached out his hand to touch one of Yuika's cuts on her face. "If it hurts, why do it?" Yuika's gaze drifted down to Konohamaru.

"Someone asked me that before. I couldn't answer then, either. I just don't like seeing others hurt"

Gaara didn't respond. Maybe, he wasn't sure how. Human emotions were still a hidden concept to him. So, he merely sat against the rooftop wall next to Yuika. He rested his head against her shoulder, feeling the soft fabric of her kimono brush along his cheek.

"You…knew my mother, right? What…was she like?"

"To be honest, I can't remember very well. I was only six when I met her. Pretty big shock for both of us. We were pen-pals, if you can believe that? We agreed to meet in Suna and we both laughed for ages when we realised we never asked how old the other person was" She smiled to herself. Her eyes then softened as she tried to pick out the details she knew Gaara wanted to hear. That birth had been terrifying. A grown woman trusting a child to deliver her baby. Kakashi had turned up at the last minute. Finding Yuika covered in blood with a baby and a dead woman wasn't really the kind of trip he had in mind when visiting Suna

"I read those old letters sometimes but I still can't remember her very well. You don't need me to tell you though. Your family has already shown you. I bet she looked just like Tamari and had the same fire in her voice when in a temper. With Kankuro's cunning and wit when faced with tough situations. I remember what made us good friends though, was the quality she shares with you. She loved those who deserved to be loved most."

"Then…she was just like you?" Gaara let a little more of his weight sink into Yuika's shoulder. He could feel the warmth from her body heat. It felt like the sun rising back in Suna. "That's… nice. I've gotten to know her now"

* * *

I Know some of you are thinking I used 'him' and 'he' too much but there was a point to it. Give me your feed back. I'd like to know what everyone is thinking of these chapters as individuals.


	6. Green Talent and Swig

I'm sorry if the plot is dragging a bit but, i promise it all leads up to a plot LOL just bare with it please. As a warning, this is a double song fic well, song a half. Another warning, song chapters will pop up every now and then. I feel music is such a big part of everyday life that it should somehow be included in the lives of ninjas.

* * *

Unbelievable. Unexplainable. Unimaginable. Never thought possible.

Rock Lee, The handsome devil of the leaf village. The boy who spent the majority of his younger years learning the art of Taijutsu because of his inability to manipulate chakra. The kid with the bushy eyebrows and bowl haircut who had to struggle for everything he's earned. Rock Lee, can sing.

Neji and Tenten had just finished a bit of light training. After the chunnin exams, Tenten was eager to practice her weaponry against strong chakra fields. They'd been walking down a rural street when the sound of a harmonious voice glided through the air. The rhythmic strings of a guitar were playing in unison, creating a smooth flow of deep music in the wind. Neji strained his ears to locate the source. They followed the melody through a small part of wood, picking up on a few words as they closed in.

_To make it 'mount enough._

_You're life is just a choice_

The voice was so gentle. The trees seemed to carry the words in their leaves, clinging to them tightly.

_But I never learned enough_

_To listen to the voice that said…_

They reached a small house. The cream exterior and white sliding doors caught the sun through the gaps in the canopy, reflecting their light in all directions of the woodland.

_…Always love_

_Hate will get you every time_

They tiptoed between the flower beds scattered around the house. The pair knew well enough that they should have concealed themselves at least but, that voice.

_Always love_

_Don't wait till the finish line_

Neji's finger tips touched the edge of the door as the chords of the guitar exploded in the air. The Hyuuga opened the door, a fervent Tenten looking over his shoulder. Despite the warm air sweeping past them, they froze from complete shock.

_Slow demands come 'round_

_Squeeze the end and keep the rest out_

Raven locks swayed in time with the glorious melody.

_It helps to right it down_

_Even if you then cross it out_

Tenten finally reconnected the her nervous system and frantically reached into her pocket, dialling one of the buttons for speed dial.

"Gai-Sensei" she screeched quietly. "You've got to see this. It's Lee, he's-

"What! What's wrong" Tenten has the sudden distinction that the voice that just bellowed it's way through her ear drums hadn't just come through the phone. She looked over her shoulder to see her over reacting teacher practically on the edge of branch just a few feet away. She should have know saying Lee's name in such a panicked voice would result in something like this. She just didn't think quick enough.

She growled down the receiver. "How'd you find us that quick?" She asked while raising an eyebrow.

"I defied the laws of time and space"

"In other words, you've been following us during training. Again" He did not answer. Instead, he joined his curious students. When there, he nudged toward Neji who hadn't moved since opening the door. The tree of them peered into the room It was a simple box design that connected to another two doors. The cornsilk walls reached nearly seven feet high and were decorated with golden brown swirls. Tenten suddenly had the urge for a glass of cold milk and a honey sandwich. A few pictures hung on wall hooks while others sat on cabinets, glimpses of green, white and grey caught the eyes. The mahogany floor boards vibrated with Lee's voice.

_Always love_

_Hate will get you every time. Always love._

_Don't wait till the finish line_

Lee sat behind a small coffee table, his facing his team-mates. He must have become so lost in the lyrics that he hadn't even heard the door open despite his trained hearing. Gai would let it slide this time.

_I've been held back by some-_Ow! The loud, metallic twang of the guitar string cut off Lee's singing. The wire of metal flailed around as Lee waved his finger in the air and sucked on it.

"Wuika. Da stwing snappef" The door the right opened.

"You'll get used to that a lot," came a female voice, "especially with that old thing. I'll show you where to get a better brand and teach you how to tune it. You wanted the lemon tea rig- oh! Hi guys"

Lee-very noticeably-twitched, nearly biting off the tip of his finger. His body slowly turned to the doorway like a rusty puppet to face his comrades. Neji's ghost white eyes, Tenten's ochre orbs and Gai's shrunken ebony pupils all stared at Lee.

"Didn't anyone ever tell you three it's rude to stand at the doorway?" said Yuika. "Either in or out"

XXXX

The group sat around the pine carved table. The mixture of lemon and green teas doing very little to lighten the atmosphere. Although, Yuika seemed to be completely oblivious to the tension. She continued to chat casually to Gai as Neji and Tenten scrutinised their blushing friend.

"Kakashi did tell me you were looking for a new place. I just didn't think it'd be so soon."

"Well, I was bored of that small apartment. It was fine for a long time but now need more space"

"You were always the free range type" he quipped, taking a sip of his tea. Yuika then propped herself over the table and flicked the end of Gai's cup. Gai snorted a gush of hot lemon tea and spilled half the cup on himself.

"That's what you get for comparing me to poultry" She smiled and straightened her daffodil coloured Kimono. It was unusual to see Yuika dressed so casually after originally seeing her in ninja attire. However, seeing any ninja without some form of combat outfit on would appear unusual. You'd never guess she was a ninja. "But, I was able to move in quicker with Lee's help. As a thank you, I offered to teach him how to play guitar. I'm amazed at how quickly he picked up on it. It's like a gift." As Yuika sipped her own tea the others eyeballed Lee. Rock Lee, with a natural gift? Neji's brain suddenly racked with questions but, not about Lee. About Yuika. Like, why would a leaf ninja be a trained musician? It could have been something learned prior to the academy but then, why continue it? Something like that takes years of dedication. It would be impossible to dedicate a life to both paths. Logic was trying to compromise a solution. Maybe she's part of an underground Sound Village squad and the instruments are required to complete the disguise. Musicians would be common in that village so, she's be able to blend in easily. Also, any Justus's or movements made by the village would be an asset to the Leaf. "Kashi-chan said you were on a mission earlier. How'd it go?"

"Great!" Tenten suddenly burst out, most likely in an attempt to break the tension.

"Well, in that case, let's celebrate"

XXXX

A large, round table at the back wall of the tavern had collected a group of adults and young Gennin

Among this lot were Rock Lee and Naruto who were locked in thumb war, Tenten and Sakura engaged in girl chatter, Gai, Kakashi and Yuika indulging in nostalgia and finally, Neji and Sasuke, completely silent and anti-social. Neji was keeping a watchful eye on the sake bottle being based between lemonades and cokes. The bartender was a little wary of letting in _some _of the ninja's which, had left Neji slightly paranoid.

Gai suddenly slammed his cup down on the table. Surprisingly, it managed to remain intact.

"I have an amazing idea!" he bellowed.

"And I think I know where this is going' groaned Kakashi, tilting his head toward the ceiling.

"As the Leaf's original-handsome-green-devil, it my duty to make this request, Kakashi. Yuika, my dear," he said, taking her left hand and holding it with both of his close to his face, "would you do us the honour of singing us a song? Just like in the old days?" Yuika sat he sake cup down. Her face held no reaction to Gai's words. All the muscles were composed and relaxed into a 'whatever' expression. While some else sat on edge, waiting for an answer, others kept their original position as if they weren't interested. Suddenly, the tabled wobbled beneath their elbows. Neji looked to see Yuika standing on the table, reaching into the over hang above their heads. All the young eyes surrounding the table widened at the site before them. Yuika blew sharply across the object she retrieved. Beneath the dust was a large, rectangular shaped box, outlined with black edges. One half revealed an assortment of black and white keys while the other held a fabric to slip and a hand inside. Neji had never seen such a device before.

"What in the land of fire is that?"

"An accordion, you dolt" Yuika retorted. Neji scowled at the insult Yuika then tossed the heavy looking machinery to Gai. "Play it and I'll sing it Maestro" Yuika began to clap her hands in a steady 1-2 rhythm. Gai rose to his feet and held the accordion majestically in his chest. He pulled the strapping machine apart. air was inhaled and created a loud boom of sound that echoed across the bar. Half the bar ad already been staring when Yuika had climbed on top of the table. Now, the entire tavern's attention was drawn to this sudden blast of noise.

_Down at the Olde Mill Inn_

_We'll laugh and dance and sing_

Yuika spun on her heel to face her audience.

_We'll drink all day and Gai will pay, down at the Olde Mill Inn_

"Hey!" shouted the man in green with an accordion.

"Don't interrupt me. Lee, Naruto. Get up here and join in" Lee thrust to his feet, neatly tumbling over but still kept his good fist clenched tightly to his chest and that look of desire burned in his eyes.

"That would be splendid. A display of musical wonder is exactly what would make this evening truly fantastic!"

"We don't even know the words, Bushy Brow"

"That does not matter" he said while striking his 'I will not lose pose', "We can pick it up along the way!" Lee tried to hoist Naruto up by the armpit but he was stopped half way when the orange ninja was jerked away from his loose grip.

"Naruto" Sasuke growled. "If you get up on that table you're dead" Naruto screwed his eyes at the grumpy Uchiha.

"Wow" hw said with heavy sarcasm. "Take you long to come up with that one, Sasuke?" The blonde simply shook Sasuke off and climbed onto the table, helping Lee along the way. They were the now 'Orange Jumpsuit', 'Hyper-green-jumping-bean' and 'Little Miss Sing Song'. Neji raised his drink to hide the small smirk crawling along his face. He did admire the way Naruto could press the Uchiha's buttons and seeing him look majorly pissed off with no comeback was very humorous, even to Neji Hyuuga.

_Down at the Olde Mill Inn_

_Ships are sailing in_

_We'll drink a toast to Tenten our host, down at the Olde Mill Inn_

Neji had forced himself on previous occasions to adjust to his Sensei's and team-mate's 'displays' but this, was a little over board.

_The moon is full. The bar is too._

_When we here come to town_

The three of them leapt from the table and spun simultaneously on their feet, like they'd already practised a routine.

_We'll have a beer 'cause Lee is here_

_So spread the cheer around_

Neji was beginning to thing that these four imbeciles were all somehow related. No way a group of people can this moronic, lack the ability to get embarrassed in public and not have some kind of blood line.

_Down at the Olde Mill Inn_

_Bartender's name is Kim_

_And with a smile, she'll serve in style, down at the Olde Mill Inn_

The whole bar suddenly shook violently as the tavern doors were thrown off their hinges.

"Woman! If you're singing and drinking in here without me, you can forget about me doing business in the future!" Furious blonde eyebrows furrowed in fury while the entire bar hid under their tables from the Hokage. Except for one blonde and one over grown child.

"Tsunade-chan! How you been?" It was like watching an insect fly directly into the spider web. "I missed my sake buddy" You _know _what's going to happen. However, it turns out that insect is drinking buddies with the spider and their favourite past time is playing 'Talk and Swig' which, Kakashi later explained, involved challenging your opponent to talk any subject you think of and of they couldn't for an entire minute they had to take a swig of sake. Needless to say, Gai was opposed to this sort of behaviour but was impressed with Yuika's ability to talk extensively about ducks.

"Hey, Grandma-Tsunade. Join the party. You could with some fun in your life" the knuckle head snickered.

"Shut up, brat" She pointed a serious finger at Yuika. "You know where the good sake is. Get a bottle and sit with me already"

That had to be closest to Lady Hokage ever saying 'I missed you too and I can't wait to share a drink' Yuika saluted with a broad smile.

"Yes, Mam. As soon as we've finished our song. Come on, Gai. Keep playing" Yuika began clapping her hands again to bring back the previous atmosphere. The tension in Gai's arms slowly released as Tsunade sat herself down at a table in the corner. Music eased it's way back into the little bar and soon found itself bouncing off the plywood walls along with three very peculiar people. They were clapping merrily in time with the music, spinning on their toes like playful ducks on the pond. All at once, they took a deep breadth and let their lungs loose on their audience.

_The moon is full, the bar is too, when we here come to town_

_We'll have a beer 'cause Tsunade's here_

_So spread the cheer around_

It was as if their minds had composed together to tweak those lyrics. Naruto can barely remember to zip up most of the time, how was he able to sing this ridiculous song after only a few lines, let alone tweak it? But apparently, his childish behaviour was infectious: Sakura was swaying her head, Tenten, as well as others, were clapping too and Neji could swear that even Kakashi-Sensei was blinking in time with the beat.

_Down at the Olde Mill Inn_

_We'll laugh and dance and sing_

_We'll drink all day and Gai will pay, down at the Olde Mill Inn_

Gai twitched a little; either at the thought of buying a round or that his student might be included in that round.

_La la la la la. Sing on everybody_

_La la la la la_

Now that the lyrics had take on simpler syllables, the rest of the bar had decided to join in too. Yuika, Lee and Naruto then hopped on the bar counter which actually seemed to delight the waitress behind it. They stood side by side, arms open wide, the lights glimmering on their hair and skin.

_Down at the Olde Mill Inn!_

They look ridiculous.


	7. The Past Returns

Finally, we've reached the PLOT!!

* * *

"Itachi! You were supposed to report back to Deidara a week ago. Have you been here the whole time?" Kisame had been sent by the rest of the Akatsuki to bring Itachi back. His mission was to simply gather information about the Uzumaki boy and report back. He was a week late. Kisame found Itachi standing idly on top of a rooftop in the middle of Konoha. He was gazing into the street with his Sharingan eyes. Kisame couldn't see anything wrong with the area. It was late at night and the streets were quiet other than a few barking dogs.

"I apologise, Kisame. Something here caught my attention so, I decided to stay a while longer, plus the ramen here is great and the babes (Stacie) are hot" Itachi appeared as emotionally as emotionally locked out as always but, if something was able to catch his interest for a full week then maybe he would stay and find out too. Deidara was pisses of already anyway so a few more days won't make much of a difference. Just then, Kisame could hear someone laughing in the distance. Two figures were heading down the street toward the building where he and Itachi were waiting. One of them happened to be none other than the last of the Uchiha clan, Sasuke. The other was unfamiliar to Kisame. It was a woman walking by Sasuke's side, dressed in a white Kimono with dark red, red roses decorating the sleeves and hem. She and Sasuke were laughing together and talking in a very friendly manner. _Strange_ thought, Kisame. _I imagined the Uchiha boy to be more bitter than this. If I didn't know better I would have guessed he was an ordinary Gennin. _Kisame noticed how Itachi's eyes suddenly narrowed as this woman came closer into view. Was this some sort new ninja who posed a threat? Was she training Sasuke? Maybe this was why Itachi had remained here, to find out if this woman could actually train Sasuke to beat him. It seemed a definite possibility however, something appeared…off with this woman. It could have been the way she walked: light footed as a trained ninja but with a highly developed posture yet, had a sort of casual, childlike style. It was impossible to determine physical physique with that Kimono on. If she is a ninja to compete with Itachi's level, she didn't have the face. Ninja's of that standard learn to be emotionless, distant and savage. This woman has the characteristics of grade school teacher. Whoever she is, she knows Sasuke well enough.

"Did you really have to bully Naruto that much, Sasuke?"

"He transforms into me, goes on my mission, screws up and I'm the one who gets chased by Kakashi's big ass dogs. I had every right to hang him by his underwear"

"But on the highest flag pole? He was stuck up there for two hours before someone found him. No doubt Sakura was impressed though" she cooed. Sasuke looked away, seemingly uninterested by the remark.

"Like I care" Then suddenly, she threw her arms around the Uchiha boy, her cheek smooshed against his. He clear, white hair vibrantly contrasting with Sasuke's night black.

"Awww. Your so cute when you get all defensive, Sasuke!"

"Get off" he moaned "You know I hate hugs" Sasuke pushed her away and walked ahead. For a moment the woman stood there smiling to herself. Quickly catching up again, she soon walked by Sasuke's side again where they resumed their banter. Just as they were parallel with the Akatsuki pair, the woman stopped. Sasuke turned around, a look of concern slowly growing on his face as the woman placed both hands over her mouth. She coughed. Then coughed again, each time sounding more violently serious. Sasuke stepped forward when the woman suddenly coughed up a whole gush of blood in Sasuke's direction. Temporarily blind, he rubbed at his eyes frantically, not noticing the woman's footing losing balance. Kisame sighed at what happened next. As the Uchiha boy wiped the last of the blood form his eyes, his whole body seemed to freeze completely as he saw his older brother holding the white haired woman in his arms. Itachi had caught her as she was falling back. Kisame wondered what both Uchiha's were thinking at that moment. He expected the younger one to throw a rage like the previous encounter. Instead, he just stood there like some mindless statue and watched as Itachi lay the woman onto the ground. This strategy was very unlike Itachi. Why not just kill her off now? _Can I do it! _ Kisame stared and studied the expression on Itachi's face. Normally the only indication of sole or even life was in his cold, toneless voice. Now, something different was there. In his true eyes. Kisame rarely saw those eyes. Itachi pretty much had his Sharingan activated constantly, continual etching every detail of his surroundings and enemies into his memory. Why did he deactivate it now?

The woman's breathing was scratchy and erratic. Itachi hovered a hand over her forehead and began to heal her with chakra.

"You haven't been taking you medicine have you?" He placed his glowing fist over her throat now. "You know this can happen when you don't take care of yourself" He moved to her stomach. "You'll never change will you. Always too busy looking after others" Her eyes fluttered open. They wondered over Itachi and met him at the eyes.

"Ita…Itachi…" she croaked. The luminous glow began to dim. "I'm cold again, Itachi. The light vanished as Itachi wrapped a strong hand around her small one.

"Here," he whispered, "my hands are warm. Can you feel them?" She rolled into Itachi's embrace, shivering yet smiling at the same time. What was Itachi thinking? Kisame has never seen him so close to someone before, not before killing them anyway. Maybe this is some sort of tactic? This could be some sort of Genjutsu to confuse her. But why? There's no need for it. She's weak and defenceless. Kill her now if she's such a threat.

Itachi leaned lower, bringing his face closer to hers. _What kind of death-jutsu is this? _Kisame's breadth hitched in his throat as he watched the cold hearted, emotionless ninja, kiss the white haired woman. His lips lingered over hers briefly. When he pulled away, he was smiling. (Kisame actually strained his ears, expecting hear the sound of hinges creaking) With one hand, Itachi started to remove his Akatsuki robe, then roll it into a ball and place underneath her head. Her body no longer shivered and she appeared to be asleep. Itachi rose with closed eyes. When he opened them again he faced his younger brother, Sharingn fully revived once again.

"Make sure she gets home safely, or I'll kill you" With that said, Itachi leapt from the ground and dashed towards the boundaries of the leaf village. Kisame quickly shook away his confusion and pursued him.

It wasn't until they'd reached the border line when Kisame finally managed to catch with Itachi. When he did, Kisame grabbed Itachi's arm and forced him to a halt.

"What the hell **was **that Itachi?!" he shouted in his face. Itachi did not answer, he just blankly stared back.

He gripped the Uchiha's forearm tighter yet, there was no sign in his features that was going to fight back.

"Past, that's all" he remarked in a deadpan tone.

"Don't fuck with me! You know, just as well as I do, attachments aren't part of the Akatsuki. I understand the kid's reason for still breathing shit but who the fuck was she? If you wanted a screw on the side-" Kisame was immediately cut off by a sharp blow to the cheek bone. Itachi could have easily crushed his face to pieces but, he held it back.

"She's there to remind me not to fuck up again! Now fuck off!"

Kisame watched on the tree branch as Itachi ran again. There was no point in chasing him anymore. He wouldn't tell Kisame anything else. He was amazed the Uchiha even told him that much albeit, he was still confused? The shark fin ninja felt he knew just as much as anyone else knew about the Uchiha and that suited him fine but, apparently there was something that dwelled a little deeper. Something that even got the heartless-clan-killer's blood to boil over. Screw Itachi if he tried to kill him, Kisame was too curious now.


	8. Doctor, Doctor

Since Gaara has quite a role to play in this-he appears in later chapters. I've planned way too far into this-i felt it was Neji's turn and i've devised a way for him to play a necessary part in the main plot. Yes, there is a plot to all this.

* * *

One mission. One, god-forsaken, mission to get him out of this. Kitten-sitting, weeding, roof gutting, river clearout, ANYTHING! But, no. He was doomed to help Gai-Sensei take care of Yuika while she was recovering from a nasty illness. Gai had mentioned briefly that he be would unavailable for missions that week but it was Lee who informed the Hyuuga that Yuika was responsible. That woman severely annoyed Neji. He could put up with loud, boisterous, hyper, arrogant and just general stupidity but something about this woman really ticked him off. And it all seemed to originate from that weird dream.

While dragging his feet to Yuika's house his thoughts wondered back to the chunnin exams. Naruto had probably felt he had cured Neji of his obsession with destiny but traces of his old beliefs still lingered in the back of his head. He accepted that maybe, destiny isn't always set for everybody but, he believed his instincts. He distinctly remembers the unique colour of Yuika's eyes in his dream. There was no record of a clan with pink eyes or white hair so, she must be connected. Yet, there was nothing remotely threatening about her. She was basically Lee and Naruto rolled in one which meant, double the headache.

Apparently the woman had gotten ill over night and Gai wouldn't leave her damn bedside to get her medicine. The only Jounnin in the entire village that wasn't on a mission today and this is how he spends his day. If she's that ill then leave her in the hospital.

He arrived at the familiar doorstep of Yuika's house, trying to ignore the last memories that this place and this person created. He noticed how a few of the potted flowers looked a little dry and weeds were beginning to sprout along the dirt path. If this woman was going to keep a garden she should at least care take of it properly. At least the inside was well kept except for the air, it felt thick and stuffy from lack if air circulation.

"Gai-Sensei? I have the medicine you asked me to retrieve. Where are you?"

"Through here, Neji" His normally loud and bellowing voice was abnormally quieter. Not quite, just quieter. It came from the room near the left of the main sitting area. There was a bitter stench of stale vomit lingering in the air of the small home and inside the room it was even stronger. As Neji's brow furrowed at the scent of the pungent aroma he quickly gazed around the room to hopefully distract his nose. A single window, 100x25 cm, framed in white sat in the centre of the right wall, decorated with thin, light green curtains that fluttered loosely in the breeze. Below, a small set of drawer, hand made and painted white. Three picture frames sat on top; the smallest was a picture of Yuika, a few years younger, difficult to tell how many. The other was landscape, framing a photograph of his Sensei along with Kakashi Sensei and a younger Yuika in between. The last one was recent, a group photo, Naruto, Lee, Gaara, Tenten, Shino, Sakura, Sasuke and himself. It was a reluctant picture on Neji and most likely Sasuke, behalves but, Yuika wouldn't let them leave until she had a group photo of them all together. A single bed sat in the left corner of the room, vertically facing the doorway. Gai was sitting on the edge while Yuika sat up with her back against the wall, half tucked into blankets.

"Hey, Neji" croaked a tiny voice. Yuika was already naturally paler than the average person from her albino genetics but now, she looked close to a walking (sitting) corpse. "How are you? No missions today?"

"Thank you for asking and I do have a mission today" The Hyuuga held up the labelled bottle assuming he'd be able to hand it over and leave in peace. Never make assumptions. He immediately saw Gai's furry framed eyes widen and then dart towards the window along with Yuika. She'd managed to clutch the window frame and place one foot on top of the sill before Gai got to her. She was surprisingly fast for an ill person.

"Let me go, Gai! I'll be fine without it!"

"Not happening. The last time you got ill and didn't take the medicine you were delirious for three **weeks**" Gai had wrapped both of his arms tightly around her waist and was pulling as hard as he could with a sick woman but, broken ribs on top of a serious fever and possibly delirium might not be very efficient.

"I'm not taking it! It's disgusting!" She flailed frantically but Gai wouldn't let go. For goodness sake, this is a grown woman, a ninja for that matter, and she's acting worse than a five year old. Then, moving limbs staggered back until they eventually landed on the bed again. Main problem now: Gai wasn't going to be able to give Yuika medicine if she kept thrashing like that. _I'll have to sort this myself, as usual_. In the midst of all the ridiculous and foolish behaviour, Neji threw in his own arm and clutched Yuika's nose, squeezing it tightly. In the split second she winced in pain, Neji bit down on the cork of the bottle, thrust the rim against Yuika's mouth and pushed past the lips. Everything froze like a pause button on a DVD.

"You either swallow or you suffocate." The pair of them stared at each other intently. Both of them focused, never blinking, neither going to back down. Unfortunately, lungs can't hold out as longs as the eyes can focus. Every muscle in her face grimaced and tightened as the thick liquid pour it's way down her oesophagus. "Next time, try acting your age" he said while placing the cork back on the bottle. Yuika scrutinised the Hyuga fiercely, he nose curving into the shape of small pig snout.

"You calling me old?" Gai braced his arms in case of another onslaught.

"It doesn't matter how old you are. The fact is you are a ninja who has the mentality of a child"

Gai was about to growl before Yuika jumped back in.

"Who the hell are you calling a ninja?"

"Excuse me?"

"I'm not a ninja you dolt, I'm a seamstress. How you get those two completely mixed up is be-"

"WHAT?!" Three young ninja heads popped up from behind the open window, one blonde, one red head and one bowl cut. _This woman has an unsettling amount of young, male friends._

"Is this true Yuika?" Lee asked in complete astonishment. "You are not a ninja?" Despite the fact he was half crippled, he still managed to squish Gaara into the window sill with his good arm while supporting his weight on Naruto's shoulder. Gaara didn't look to pleased but he was showing amazing restrain. He thrust his head up slightly, taking the courtesy not to knock Lee off the roof, "Did you're breasts get bigger?" _Actually, come to think of it….no! Don't look._ "Naruto" Lee growled. "What did you tell him this time" In an attempt to break the awkwardness that was quickly enveloping the room, Yuika changed the subject back to the first question she was asked. "What made you think I was a ninja?" She grumbled.

"Well…." Naruto scratched the back of his head, "when we first met you, you were in, you know, uniform. Plus, you know Kakashi-Sensei and Mega Thick Brows"

"That's cause I grew up around them." Four boys confused boys stared at each other. Normally, people who weren't ninja didn't know shinnobi personally. Village residents and ninja's may stay in the same home but they live in different worlds. It was just simpler not to associate unless it during a mission exchange. However, that didn't prepare them for…."Kakashi's my old man" There are times when silence is the only response. That perverted, pornographic reading, poor timekeeping, ass poking masked man….is a dad?

"Naruto? Please tell me this is another one of those sarcasm situations?" asked Gaara. Since Naruto's slack jaw wasn't going to provide the answer, it was up to Gai.

"Yuika's adopted and Kakashi's her foster father. Although, they're practically flesh and blood." Neji analysed both his teacher and Yuika carefully. This could be the opportunity he'd been looking for. "I remember the day I first met you. You were such a tiny child, you could barely get up a set of stairs but you were so eager to run around like a puppy and talk to every new person you could find" Gai-Sensei appeared pretty composed, his normal stance when going into nostalgia mode. Yuika's expressions however, changed three times. Her eyes had lowered to her knees, made contact with Gai-Sensei's and then, softened. Guilt, nostalgia and happiness. Guilt interested the Hyuuga most. Naruto suddenly beamed for some reason, joining Lee in 'let's flatten Gaara'.

"Oh cool! Kakashi never told us he was a Dad! But then, what was with the uniform?" Yuika wiped her nose with a hankie while waiting for Naruto settle a bit. Suddenly her life story was up for show so, she might as well have a clean nose.

"I travel around a lot. I go from village to village and swap materials other kimono dealers. It improves communication between buyers and it allows me to improve productivity by providing a range of fabrics for manufacturing" Neji shoved a nail into his indent finger just to make sure that wasn't an illusion, "plus, they come in pretty colours" No illusion and no chance of ever hearing her sound so professional ever again. "The uniform just makes it easier to move around."

"But what if a rogue ninja crosses paths with you, thinking you are part of an ambush squad? You would not be able to defend yourself" Lee exclaimed, much to Gaara's discomfort. His temper was not going to last long with these two idiots.

"Oh, no need to worry there, Lee" Gai chuckled "She may not be a ninja but, Yuika can defend herself at least at Chunnin level" he finished with a firm slap to Yuika's back. She immediately covered her mouth, leapt from the bed and out the door. Faint sounds of vomiting could heard from down the hallway.

"Uh…..mind not telling Kakashi about that?"

XXXX

Neji believed he would be able to leave Yuika's house and return to training and a serious atmosphere for an hour or two. That, was going to be the situation if Gai's phone hadn't rang.

"Hel-"

"WHERE THE FUCK ARE ALL THE GODDAMN GENNIN IN THIS VILLAGE?!" Apparently, Lady Tsunade was not entirely pleased about having to track down a few boys. "Naruto was supposed to be supervising the Junior students, that demon red-head is supposed to be in a diplomacy meeting with Kankuro and Temari and Lee's supposed to be in physio! I don't care if the all seven swordsmen of the Mist have them cornered, get their asses down here!!"

Needless to say, Gai was slightly worried about the Hokage breaking both his arms and legs in the nest five minutes if he didn't move quickly. Unfortunately for Neji, this was the one day the Hokage didn't have a mission for the young Hyuuga. So, his sensei assigned him to watch duty.

There was a bright side to the situation though, Yuika's on and off fever wore her body out easily so, she was asleep soon after everyone left. He didn't feel entirely comfortable sitting inside the house but, it was necessary for him to stay close. As a compromise, the Hyuuga sat outside, underneath the window of Yuika's room. The back of the small home appeared just as well kept as the front had been: trimmed grass, wild flowers kept clear from weeds and even the branches of near by trees had been cut in areas that would be prone to damage in serious weather. Neji was beginning to see why Shikamaru Nara enjoyed gazing at the sky so much. It was actually very soothing to watch just for the simplicity of watching. Well, it might be pleasant to relax for an hour until Gai returned.

"Well, it looks like you _can_ loosen up" Neji craned his neck up. So much for a few minutes peace. However, he immediately threw his head away in the other direction.

"For goodness sake, woman! Where are your leggings?!" Earlier, Yuika had been clad in a simple white

t-shirt and light black leggings. If Gai had shown up with Neji staring up at a woman in her underwear and t-shirt, crouching on a window sill, he'd be worse off than Lee. He fought the raising blush in his cheeks but that wasn't a sight he could forget too easily.

"Well, looks like 'mister stuck up' actually has some hormones" He could sense her etching closer to him. He focused small fox nibbling at a rabbit carcass but that didn't distract him from the movement of Yuika shifting around on the window. He actually dared to look back over his shoulder. Yuika was now hanging upside down, her white hair brushing against the blades of green below. _Think of something! Anything!_

"Is….is it true you can fight?" Not sure where that came from but, he was curious.

"Pretty much. Gai and Kashi-chan taught me since I was small. Kashi-chan was paranoid about me getting kidnapped so he demanded I learn how" Her expression was plain, simple information exchange. Strange.

"Then, why not just join the academy to begin with?"

"Oh, that's easy." She smiled. "I'm a coward. There's no way I'd survive in your world. Satisfied?" What? This seemed far to obscured. However, the young Hyuuga didn't have time to process because Yuika suddenly slipped from the window.

"Neji! What on earth is going on?" Half naked woman, lying on the ground and in front of a young ninja. Or course Gai was going to show up.

"Wait! No! This isn't what it looks like!"

XXXX

"You know Itachi, from what you've told me, this woman seems a little more messed up than you" Kisame could be pretty aloof when he wanted to be. It took him a while to chase the Uchiha down and even longer to press some juice out of him but, eventually he got Itachi to talk. A few bottles of sake always help too. "So, what we doing back here anyway? Are we killing her? Is that it. Finally! I was bored!"

"Don't you ever calm down?" Itachi never had to use so much as an octave to put Kisame in his place. The blue ninja reluctantly, but obediently, kept his feet firmly in place.

"If you're bored then go find something to do" he said flatly. "I'll come and find when I'm done"

"What are you up to?" Kisame's shoulders suddenly narrowed when he saw the faint hint of a smirk cross over Itachi's face.

"I'm off to play to an old game of doctor" One puff of smoke later, Kisame was away to forget that little comment and Itachi made his way to Yuika's house. There were no annoying watchers surrounding her window. Itachi knew this of course, Maito Gai may be overprotective but even that spandex for brains knew there was no point in guarding the woman over night. Itachi remembered the last time Yuika was ill like this, she would struggle and moan all day to go outside and say she felt completely fine even though her fever was constantly spiked but, come nightfall she was out like a light. She was cliché character, rising and falling with the sun. Itachi never recalled her staying up later than eight or waking up after five.

_This will all seem like a dream to her. Maybe it's better that way. She'll think we're fourteen again, a happy time. _Itachi stood outside her open window, his body bent forward to rest on his folded forearms. Five long years had passed. Five years since those sentimental and cheesy days. Last night had been selfish and stupid. Just like those days. The days when ninja life came second for once. When his father's expectations couldn't affect him. The days he could smile for something without even thinking.

Itachi climbed inside. The hardwood floors were dotted with discarded white tissues, the air

felt musty and dry with remnants of what smelt like that old medicine. She never could handle the stuff but with the smell it left behind, who could blame her. He remembered nights like this; nights when his thoughts could wander freely about trivial things. No missions, no duty and no clan, just her. The weight of his left palm sunk into the mattress while the left reached forward to touch that moon-pale skin. He cleared her face of her straggled hair. The musk of fever sweat drifted in the air between them, drawing the Uchiha in further. He let his body etch closer, allowing one leg and then two to climb onto the bed. He knew her light sleeping nature would make her stir soon enough. When it would, she'd see his tired face and become trapped in her old state of mind. When he pulled away her quilt, it was like standing in front of an open oven, the heat swept over him and seeped into his own skin. The mild breeze from outside carried scents of dew from the evening grass into the room. The aroma caused fair eyelids to flutter. They would have closed again and allowed their owner to return to slumber if not for the words whispered into her ear.

"How are you feeling?" He could sense the light shiver tickle along her neck. Groggily, she rubbed one of her tired eyes.

"I'd feel better if you'd stop waking me up at night." She yawned. "I keep telling you, you can come in just as long you're quiet. You know I can't sleep after I wake up"

"In that case," he lightly kissed the tip of her nose, "why don't we pass some time?" His fingers faintly brushed her hip, trailing higher to push away her white t-shirt.

"Ah, Itachi." she protested. "Don't. I'm all gross from this damn cold" Itachi merely chuckled as he kissed along her jugular and continued to remove Yuika's garments. One thing Itachi adored about the woman beneath him was her distaste of cleavage underwear. It was strange at first but, quickly became very alluring. She'd already removed her traditional method of support so, that saved him the trouble. It was almost too cliché to resist; a fair skin maiden basked in rich moonlight and her male Adonis climbing in through the window to take her away. If only he could take her away. Away from this place he once loved but loathed at how her mind had been warped by it.

_Why couldn't things have stayed that way? _His string vest and leggings were soon thrown to the floor leaving a thick, dark puddle in the middle on the moon's glow. Itachi gazed with heavy eyes at what he'd longed to see again for too long. There was nothing cliché about this woman. Her skin wasn't flawless and carved to perfection. Her waist and hips were slim with only a slight curve to hint her femininity. There was nothing extraordinary or plain. Just the body she was born with and the scar left by the past. He refused the impulse to touch the old wound that stretched along her pelvis, it would arise those unwanted memories.

His eyes lingered up her body, memorising every fresh detail that had embedded itself into her skin since he left. _Her breasts have gotten bigger since then_. He smiled inwardly. Looking at her now, she appeared no different than five years ago.

He pursued further, plentifully leaving kisses across her abdomen. He reached her chest and let his slim fingers trail playfully over her breasts. They cupped perfectly into his palms and rolled beneath his abraded fingers. Itachi then, lowered his entire body until his chest met hers. Both his arms slipped beneath her back, causing her to arch deeper into him.

"Itachi….you're making it worse" _She must mean her fever. _He'd hoped this could have lasted longer but, he didn't want to over do it when she was still in this condition. However, it was too far on to leave now. He'd already touched her again. He needed to feel her one more time. Even if she'd only remember it like a distant memory. It would be something to keep him going. Just one small piece of past to keep him from falling apart at the seams.

"Please," he whispered, either to Yuika or some guardian spirit, "just let me know what it feels like again. Just once more."

"You mushy plum. What's got you so sentimental?" _Always with the fruit_. _She always has that odd way of making me smile._

"Missions have just been getting to me lately. That's all" She stretched her arms high and wrapped them around my neck and shoulders. Her fingers tips massaged the base of his neck, gently kneading away the tension embedded in his muscles.

"Awww. Then, I'll just have to loosen you a up bit then won't I?" She pulled him in closer. They shared a deep kiss, just like the one's they used to. Late nights, just the two of them, no worries. It felt just like back then. Itachi let his hands explore and roam over her body. Bits and pieces of returning the Uchiha's own memories of their nights together. That thin scar between her shoulder blades, the small nick on her right shoulder and that round blemish on her right leg above the calf. These were the parts of her that made him want to hold her close all night. He didn't flinch as he stroked over that hellish reminder. Instead, he let everything go. His mind released it self. The tips of his fingers caught the hem of her underwear and gently tugged them down her pallid legs. He stopped for a moment to admire her revealed area. Something about pubic hair used to creep Itachi out slightly. (He put it down to all those 'models' in magazines who waxed or something everyday.) However, something about Yuika's intrigued him. It looked more like the fur of a rabbit which, caused the desire to brush his fingers against it. Light moans floated in the air as he did. He kept his left arm tucked beneath her shoulders, stretching forward to kiss her more while feeling that warmth rise inside her.

"Hot…." she exhaled. Itachi swallowed those words deeply. That tiny, little syllable immediately caused a twitch in his nether regions. His fingers moved to their accord, swimming in hot fluid and working their skilled muscles. His index finger pushed it's way through her vaginal wall, curling upwards as it did and moved in and out of her while the thumb caressed that sensitive nub. Yuika's knees bent towards her at Itachi's touches and the toes curled eagerly at the bed sheets. She broke another kiss. "Inside. Please"

The Uchiha quickly whipped away the boxers. He then lay his entire body on top if her again and looked directly at her. There it was. Her old face. Nothing to hide. Behind the door, beneath the sheets, she was the woman only Itachi would know. His fully erect member rested on her folds. When he moved his hips, they shared their heat. Passionate flesh moved together, being consumed within tight walls that pulsed frantically with every thrust.

"Please…say it" he grunted. Deep cerise eyes, half hidden by eyelids bore into Itachi's black orbs.

"…love you. I love you, Itachi" Hearing his name again, so fresh and heated. It was pushing him closer to the edge. Just a few more words. Just to hear her say something like this one more time.

"Closer" Yuika suddenly clutched Itachi's long, ebony hair. He winced but, only for a second as he felt Yuika's orgasm surround his member, enfolding him in an unbelievable heat that hadn't been felt in so long.

XXXX

Kisame had found himself a quiet spot a few miles away from the village where he could quietly maim and kill small animals from the comfort of a tall pine.

"This never gets boring" he grinned. He'd already pinned six mice to the ground, three birds against a tree (two of which were still alive and gasping painfully) and a few foxes were smart enough to stay hidden but that wouldn't save them for long. His mind was clear and free until Uchiha showed up. Neither of the ninja said a thing. Itachi just sat himself next to the manic shark. A few moments passed, two squirrels lost their eyes and Itachi yawned. Kisame's eyes widened to size of whale sockets.

"What?"

"You've never yawned before"

"So? I am human you know."

"Well yes, but….." Of course he was human. It's just, Kisame was sure Itachi slept with his eyes open or something.

"Just wake me when the sun rises okay?" Kisame was now tempted to shove a needle into his own eye. He'd never seen Itachi sleep before. Nearly three years he's been partnered up with this guy and not once had he drifted off into a cat nap. Sure enough though, the Uchiha rested his back against the stem of the tree, angled his head to face the over hanging branches and firmly closed his eyes shut.

* * *

Okay, people who are familiar with my previous fics will know that i normally go into 'greater' detail when it comes to lemons. However, i felt that to keep the atmosphere initially set, it would be appropriate to tone it down a little. Is it still okay? I'm worried i've made way too mushy.


	9. The Question

I keep getting the feeling i'm wandering away from my original plot. I keep finding ways to squeeze Gaara and other characters into this. It's suppposed to be Itachi dammit!! Oh well, i felt some comic releif was in order. This was originally going to be a one shot but, i decided 'screw it'. And here we are LOL Enjoy and let me know what you think.

* * *

Curiosity filled the air of Konoha that day and lingered around one particularly curious shinobi, Gaara. His curiosity was aroused while wandering through some urban streets. The area was home to some of the villages most fruitful shrubs and trees. The natural paths were decorated with forest green bushes which were speckled with ripe, plump, juicy raspberries. While taking residence in the village, Gaara had developed a bit of sweet tooth for wild fruit. He had been on a mission with Naruto a few weeks ago and there closest sustenance was wild fruit. While Naruto ate a simple handful to clear his dry throat, Gaara had devoured the entire busy of it's bountiful produce. The blonde had been completely flabbergasted by the whole display. It had been the first time he'd seen Gaara so eager about anything, let alone food.

So, while walking down the dirt path, Gaara took it upon himself to treat himself. That's when it happened. Beyond the raw umber tress Gaara could hear the loud voices of two individuals arguing. He strained his ears in an attempt to develop his hearing rather than relying his third eye jutsu and wasting chakra.

"-ou think a fifteen minute shag once a month is communication? Where the fuck is my-" Shag? He'd heard that term before. It was related to sex wasn't it? "Whatever" he mumbled to himself. He popped a raspberry into his mouth and began to walk away when it suddenly hit him. What is sex? The thought loitered in his mind. Words like breeding and reproduction flickered by but those were definitions, not explanations. Gaara's childhood had been one of containment and insomnia. His education was restricted to strictly written material of nin-jutsu and gen-jutsu. Sex-education was prohibited yet it hadn't bothered him. Why would it when all your life was constantly focused around death and literally fighting an inner demon. Now, the questioned had aroused and Gaara was curious.

Gaara's immediate decision was to ask Lee. Lee was honest by nature. He would never lie to Gaara no matter what the question or circumstance and with his extensive knowledge of ti-jutsu, he'll know exactly how the human body works and how to explain the process to the curious red-head. That was easier said than done though. He found Lee in the middle of a push-up marathon, trying to work out some stiff muscles before his operation next month.

"321...322...323...324"

"Hey, Lee?" The green clad ninja looked up, still thrusting against his free arm frantically, to see his red-headed friend crouched in front of him. Gaara wouldn't mind if he continued with his work-out.

"Yes, Gaara! How may I help you?" he panted

"I was wondering if you could answer something for me?"

"Of course. Anything! That is what friends are for!"

In his trademark, monotone voice, Gaara asked his honest friend, "Would you explain sex to me?" THUMP! Lee's nose contacted violently against the limestone ground after his hand suddenly slipped. Odd, Lee had more control than that.

"WHAT!?" he screamed. Lee's face was a mess of blood and mucus dribbling frantically from his nose and stained the exterior of his bandages. "What kind of a question is that?!"

"I'm curious. By the way, you've got a little…." he pointed to his upper lip, indicating Lee had _something _on his face. Lee made a frantic swipe with his arm across his face but all he did was smear the blood further around his cheeks. "Shouldn't you…well…know that kind of thing at your age?" He asked bashfully.

"I was deprived in that area of my childhood so, I was hoping you would explain it to me. It seems to motivate people and I've found it can often cause diplomatic problems for some reason. I'm curious to know why?" Lee seemed to look everywhere except Gaara. "You know, you should get that checked. I can ask someone else" Lee suddenly jumped to his feet, clasped his hands together and gazed at the sky in whimsical glee. He then held the bridge of his nose and hobbled back toward the main village area.

That left Naruto Uzumaki. Gaara considered him to a very honest person too. Considering, he was the first person to be completely honest with him for the first time. It wasn't exactly difficult to find the blonde idiot. He's either hungry or hyper. So, he's either at that ramen stall he likes so much or training in his favourite spot in the woods. Hunger occurs more than hyperactivity so Ichiruka's was the first choice. Big surprise when Gaara found him trying to eat a whole bowl in one go in an attempt to get a free bowl.

Judging from the previous experience, asking, 'what's sex?', plain and bluntly might not be the best way to go about his queries.

"Fway Gaama" Naruto mumbled as Gaara passed my the curtains. He made a loud swallowing noise in which a lump a salmon clearly protruded it way down the blonde's throat. Gaara took a seat and waited until Naruto finished his meal. "So what's up?"

"I was wondering…" he thought a moment, trying to think of the right way to phrase his question, "how do you know when someone wants to have sex with you?" No bloody nose. So far, so good. Instead, a large, cheeky grin.

"That's easy" he chuckled. "When you grab their ass and they say, _'wait 'till we get home'_"

"Oh" Gaara said blankly. It answered a small fraction of his curiosity but not what he really wanted to know.

"There you are, Naruto" Bright pink locks and lime greens eyes registered to Gaara as Naruto's team-mate, Sakura Haruno. "Are you stuffing your face again? Have you completed your mission reports yet?" Her face was screwed in annoyance until she realised Gaara was there. A timid smile crossed her lips as she greeted him. "Hi there, Gaara-san. How are you?"

"I'm okay. Would you turn around for a second?" Sakura reached around her back, suddenly paranoid something was stuck there. As she faced away from Gaara, he reached out. "Like this, Naruto?" He clutched the lump of skin that formed one of Sakura's butt cheeks. A loud, ear piercing squeal erupted throughout the streets, shaking homes and bowls of ramen. The cork on Gaara's gourd popped and the blood infused sand whipped wildly to protect its owner. For a split second, Sakura was almost as quick as Lee. The sand had just managed to shield him before Sakura got the chance to sock him in the face. Gaara's immediate reaction was to point at Naruto in case Sakura took another swing and actually managed to hit him.

"Naruto told me too" He was clear of danger. Sakura made a mechanical turn toward Naruto, fists clenched tightly and knuckles whitening. Gaara recognised the look of unmistakable fear across Naruto's face. Gaara took the opportunity to slip off his seat and sneak away. The background suddenly filled with the sound of large amounts of furniture being destroyed. _Naruto should be grateful that's not his bones,_ Gaara thought to himself while ducking around a corner.

Well, that's two friends down and still no where near a suitable answer. So, who to ask now?

XXXX

Lately, Gaara had been trying to communicate more with his siblings on a daily basis. Just simple things like, greetings and asking about general health. It wasn't much but it was more than he thought possible until he met Naruto. Today, he would try and say more.

"Kankuro, would you explain some things about sex to me?" His brother turned to him with a very serious look on his face. He didn't know the specifics of Gaara's physical education but, after hearing that, he guessed Gaara's caretakers didn't go into much detail.

"Dude... Bro..." A sudden evil smirk - fitting of Kankuro - spread across his painted face, "Let me find those puppets...".

Kankuro took his younger sibling to an empty tea tavern where he could explain a few things to his brother. They sat in a quiet corner where they would be undisturbed. Finally, he would be able to pass on his wisdom in the way he'd always imagined.

"Okay, Gaara. This is Punch and this is Judy" he said while dangling two small puppets which looked oddly similar to Uzumaki and Haruno. Maybe that would make this easier to understand? "Now, little bro, Punch's favourite thing to do is fisting. Now, to do that proper--"

"Oh my God, Kankuro! What the fuck are you doing with that puppet?!" Tamari had this amazing yet very annoying ability to pop up from nowhere when her puppet wielding brother got up to mischief. She took one look at the provocative position Kankuro had placed his puppets in, immediately snatched them away and threw them out the window.

"Judy! Punch! No!" Kankuro grabbed his sister by the collar. "What the fuck was that for, bitch?!

"Your using puppets for porn! What do you think I did it for you sick bastard?!" Gaara kept a firm eye on his older sister's fan. She could whip that thing off her shoulder and tear down a row of houses before you could even blink. After studying these two fight on previous occasions, Gaara had developed a tactic he'd been wanting to try.

"Kankuro, your fly's undone" His sibling immediately covered himself.

"Ah, jeez. Hold on-I don't have a fly on these thi-hey, where'd he go?" Ah, the beauty of sand teleportation.

XXXX

If asking people his own age wasn't going to get him answers, maybe asking someone older might? His first choice was Uzumaki's teacher. However, Gaara was unaware that Kakashi missed out on sex-ed too. As a result, the copy-cat ninja took it upon himself to understand the physical changes in his body. Thus, discovering the wonder of written pornography in all its glory. When Gaara asked his recurring question to the older man, his response was handing over a copy of 'Make-Out Violence'.

"This picture here," said Gaara as he pointed to one of the pages, "I don't understand the purpose of tying someone up like this. What does it achieve?"

"It heightens sexual pleasure by eliminating all other movement, making the partner more vulnerable" he said in a matter-of-fact tone. The man was certainly well educated but he wasn't very good at teaching theory. Another dead end. What about that really loud guy, Lee's teacher….Gai-Sensei, that was it. Whenever he talks it's usually something involving the body. Maybe he'll be more useful despite his moronic composure. Gaara figured the green giant would be with the mini green giant. (Lee was seriously too tall) So, to the medical room in search of them and he did. Well, he heard them first.

"Lee, my boy, take this an opportunity. See this as your chance to train a near un-trainable part of your body into a physical perfection"

"And if _you _don't stop getting him excited he's gonna lose his nose completely you idiot" Nice to know someone felt the same way Gaara did about that loud, numbskull.

"It is alright Yuika. I merely slipped. I lost my concentration for a moment, that's all"

"Awww, brave little ninja. You make putting up with Gai all the worth while" Gaara peeked into the window of the medical room door to see Yuika cuddling Lee's head next to her chest. He seemed to be enjoying it for some reason. The second he opened the door, Gaara was greeted by a threesome of smiley faces.

"You ready to answer my question yet, Lee" That large smile suddenly evaporated into bright red cheeks. "I'll take that as a 'no' then. Fine. Will you answer my question?" he said to Gai. "What is sex and I want straight answer" The hairy man just folded his arms and smiled lightly.

"Ah, that is the secret pleasure of youth"

"Would you demonstrate?"

"On who?"

"GAI, YOU GREEN PERVERT!" Mega-kick-to-groin Gai doubled over in pain, collapsing to the floor into a tight ball. As Lee hopped to his Sensei's side, Yuika stormed out of the room, dragging Gaara with her.

XXXX

Why hadn't he thought to ask this woman earlier?

"Yuika, I'm trying to understand sex but no one has been giving me a clear-cut answer" Yuika's head dropped like bee hive just fallen from it's branch.

"Aw, man. I'm having a flash back here" Just when Gaara thought he was going to have find someone else, again, Yuika threw her head up and smiled. "Well, basically sex is what lovers do with each other, Gaara. We call that, making love. It's means sharing yourself with another person" She wrapped her arms around her waist, hiding her pink kimono sash beneath her arms. "It's a gesture you give to someone who means the most to you. It's makes you feel warm and special all over"

"Is it always like that?" She changed her position, clasping her hands behind her to take a serious pose.

"Not always. Some people use sex as way of controlling another person. They can be violent and cruel. Instead of feeling special, you feel like you want to wither away and die before that person comes back again"

"Why would someone do that? Is it how you demonstrate strength?"

"Far from it. Yes, you overpower someone but, forcing someone into that kind of position is a clear sign of weakness. Making someone else feel weak doesn't make you strong" There was silent pause between them where Gaara pondered over Yuika's words. "Why do you want to know this anyway?"

"I never had sex education and I was suddenly curious to learn"

"Oh" Yuika placed her hands on her hips. "Well then I'm talking a load of drabble here. You need to learn the physiology before you learn anything else" She took hold of Gaara's wrist. "And I know the perfect place"

XXXX

"Yuika, I'm not sure I'm very comfortable with this"

"You're never comfortable with anything that comes to sex, Iruka. So, I'm not exactly surprised this bothers you" The bronze man suddenly blushed a deep shade of red while vigorously running his thumb along the spine of book. "Come on, Iruka. You're a teacher. You can't deny education when it's needing by the younger generation"

"Most of the younger generation can't blow me to bits at the snap of a finger." He sighed heavily, realising Yuika wasn't going to back down easily. But, come on, it was difficult enough to explain this to kids as it is. A grown adolescent would just make it completely awkward. The door to the class room slid open. Genma peeked his head in to see Iruka and some white haired woman standing in front of the black board. He was going to ask why the sand was standing outside the class but, he more important issues here.

"Yo, Iruka. Lady Hokage just called an emergency Chuunin meeting. Everyone's gotta attend immediately. Got any one who can cover your class?" It was like a gift from the angels themselves. He had the perfect excuse to avoid the lecture. He thrust the book into Yuika hands, quickly said a farewell and dashed out the door.

Several minutes later, a group of third year students piled their way into the class room and sat themselves down at their tables. They were curious to know why their regular teacher wasn't here for their 'special lesson' today and why some red head guy with a giant jar on his back was standing at the back of the room.

"Hi there, everyone. My name's Yuika Hatake. Iruka-Sensei has been sadly called away on other business so I'm here to fill in." Yuika noticed a couple of young heads were facing Gaara instead of her. "Gaara-Sama is here to help me supervise. I take it you all know what today's discussion involves?" There was a mixture of noise echoing in the room. Some mumbled, others fell silent while a couple gave a clear 'yes'. One student however, just huffed.

"This is stupid. We all know what sex is so, what's the point" Gaara felt that kid deserved to be thrown out the window but, Yuika just smiled and walked up to his desk at the front row.

"Well, that's great to know. Then I have a question; when your dick starts to turn green and slimy and aches like a thousand needles just to look at, are you going to tell me you knew everything there was to know about sex?" The kid's face, along with several others, went severely pale. The boy shook his head like it was no big deal though.

"Yeah right. That doesn't happen. Nice try, lady" Yuika continued to smile while flipping through a few pages in the book she was carrying. She stopped near the middle and placed on the desk in front of the boy. Gaara was at the back of the classroom but, he had a clear view of the graphic image. A penis with immensely swollen testicles and a green like pus.

"Now are you going to tell me it doesn't happen?" Not a word from the boy, who looked like he'd just seen his own death flash before him. "That, is Gonorrhoea. Symptoms of Gonorrhoea generally appear within 2 to 10 days after sexual contact with an infected person. Some common symptoms in men include swollen testicles; burning sensations during urination; and white, yellow, or green pus from the penis accompanied by pain. Gonorrhoea symptoms in women can include yellow or bloody vaginal discharge, bleeding associated with vaginal intercourse, and cramps and pain. A rectal infection with gonorrhoea can also cause rectal discharge; anal itching; and occasional, painful bowel movements with fresh blood in the faeces." This was beginning to sound more like a torture session rather than a lesson. She said all that with a smile too. Gaara was suddenly having second thoughts about all this. If that happened after having sex then what the fuck was the point? Yuika closed the book and returned to the blackboard to face the class.

"Now listen. I'm not here to scare you all. I'm here to explain one of the greatest experiences in life in the clearest way possible and teach you how to avoid the dangers. No-one knows everything about sex but everyone can learn the fundamentals and learn from there. Originally you were supposed to be divided; boys in one room and girls in another. However, this is some things you all need to be familiar with so you might as well learn it all together. Now," Yuika took a piece of chalk and began to scribble on the board, "to put things as clear as can be, sex is technically inserting the penis into the vagina" Oh, so that was it is.

That class extended into the entire week which confused everyone a little considering it was only meant to last an afternoon. However, Yuika insisted that was not enough when it came to such a sensitive subject. Apparently the majority of parents never discuss sex with their children, even when they're almost past adolescence and when kids discussed it among themselves a lot of wrong assumptions are made which can lead to all sorts of problems. Monday was used for body productions such as periods and erections, protection during sex and against STD's which came with some pretty gruesome pictures. Tuesday went into pregnancy and its development. Wednesday covered the wrong reasons to have sex like: trying to get someone to like you, to get revenge on someone, other people telling you that you should or if someone in your family is pressuring you to have a baby. Thursday and Friday were used for questions and there was plenty of them. Yuika never hesitated or faltered at any moment. That overgrown child was somehow replaced with this incredibly, serious adult. Every question was answered with full honesty and she was somehow able to interpret the questions some people were too embarrassed to ask. By the end of the week, Yuika seemed to have exhausted every aspect and query the class had but let everyone know that if they had any questions in the future then they were to leave a note a small box on the desk. The good part was that no one actually had to write their name down and they can easily go back to the box and retrieve the answer note left behind.

There was something Gaara was a little eager to ask ever since the first day of sex-education. It was something Yuika said at the end of the day after having to clarify that you don't get gonorrhoea every time you have sex. "Sex is a great experience and can be incredibly fun if you how to do it safety" He didn't quite understand how it could be fun if you had a piece of plastic wrapped around you but apparently the body stimulates itself into a reaction called an orgasm. He walked alongside Yuika after the last class, trying to work out the right words to phrase his curiosity.

"Yuika? What does sex really feel like and how do I know if I want it or not?" They continued to walk down the hallway, neither of them looking at each other but not really needing to.

"It's really something I can't describe technically, Gaara. I can tell you that there's nothing else like it. As for if you want to or know well, that's really up to you. I understand your upbringing might have left with less of a drive than most people but when the time comes, you'll know it."

"Okay"

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Did i go a bit overboard with this chapter? Oh, well. I'm still keeping it. It'll be a while before the next update. As you've noticed, i upload in chapters, not one at time. It's so i can keep checking details and make sure i'm not wandering off too much. THanks again and let me know what you think. Questions about the plot will be greatly appreciated, that way i can avoid things ur not enjoying.


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